EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT METHOD OF DEEP SEA WATER TREATMENT ON FRUIT PROPERTIES IN MULTI-TRUSSES CULTIVATION OF TOMATO

Deep sea water (DSW), that has cold temperature, abundant nutrients, good quality and is pathogen-free, has been used for high quality tomato production. It had both advantageous and deleterious effects on tomato fruit properties. In this experi¬ment, DSW treatment was applied both intermittently and continuously during fruit growth. The objective was to obtain an effective method for DSW treatment in multi-truss cultivation to obtain high quality tomatoes while minimizing any reduction of yield. The results of the study showed that in the intermittent treatment, a longer treatment interval (2W_EC101W_EC1) produced tomatoes with higher soluble solids concentration and higher acidity than a shorter treatment interval (1W_EC101W_EC1). Intermittent treatments produced tomatoes larger than from the continueEC10 treatment but fruit density was lower. The enlargement of fruits from the intermittent treatment was greater than from the continue_EC10 treatment – thus the volume of these intermittent treatment fruits were greater. Increasing dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution could reduce blossom end rot in the tomatoes.