ASHS 2024 Conference

To evaluate the efficacy of a commercial available biostimulant (a product containing friendly microorganisms like N2 fixing bacteria) on the improvement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) use efficiency in tomato, two independent field experiments were conducted in West Central Florida in the fall production season of year 2023. For both experiments, treatments included a factorial combination of two biostimulant rates (0 or 0.247 kg/ha) and four fertilizer rates (N or P2O5) (0, 67, 135, 202 or 269 kg/ha) that were arranged in a split-plot design. Biostimulant was applied as a solution drenched in soil following transplanting, and fertilizer treatments were applied as pre-plant application in soil and/or through drip injection during the season. Commercial tomato cultivar ‘HM1823’ was chosen as plant material. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that biostimulant did not have statistically significant influence on fruit marketable yield, fruit quality (Brix) and plant biomass, regardless of application rates of P2O5. By contrast, however, application of N had statistically (P