CULTIVO DE TOMATES EN INVERNADERO Y SU FERTILIZACIÓN IDEAL CON POTASIO

The Big Potassium Mistake in Tomatoes: What No One Told You About Fruit Filling Our WhatsApp contact: https://wa.me/3147614920 In many tomato crops, it is common to observe fruits with low weight, reduced size, malformations, abnormal coloration (greenish or yellowish), and plants with poor vegetative development. These symptoms are not only signs of problems in agronomic management, but also the result of a misunderstanding about the use and true function of potassium in crop development. One of the most common mistakes among farmers is to assume that potassium is applied solely for fruit filling. This belief, although common, is deeply flawed. Contrary to popular belief, potassium does not directly fill the fruit. Its main function in the plant is to generate a process known as osmotic regulation, a mechanism that allows plants to absorb water and nutrients from the soil and mobilize carbohydrates from the leaves to the fruit. Therefore, fruits are not filled with potassium, but with water and carbohydrates produced through photosynthesis. Potassium, then, acts as a facilitator, paving the way for the elements actually responsible for filling to reach their destination. Studies of tomato chemical composition show that more than 90% of its content is water, followed by 4–5% carbohydrates, and barely 1% corresponds to minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Regarding the distribution of potassium in the plant, only half of the potassium absorbed by the roots is found in the fruits, while the rest is distributed among leaves, stems, and roots, highlighting its importance throughout the vegetative system. For this reason, potassium must be incorporated from the transplant stage, not only when the fruits begin to develop. This strategy ensures that plants have the capacity to properly absorb water and nutrients, maintain osmotic pressure, and properly mobilize carbohydrates. When selecting a potassium fertilizer to apply from the beginning of the crop, it is essential to identify formulations with a high concentration of the nutrient (40% or more), in water-soluble forms, and enriched with minor elements chelated with EDTA. Some of the best available options include: HAKAPHOS BASE (07-12-40 + microelements) by Compo Expert. IRRICOL FLORES Y FRUTOS (05-10-43 + microelements) by Colinagro. HIDROKOSECHA (10-05-40 + microelements) by Camporigen. SOLUTEC PRODUCCIÓN (05-10-43 + microelements) by Cosmoagro. These fertilizers are very similar in efficacy, as they are all composed of soluble crystals with chelated microelements, which prevents blockages in the soil and improves root absorption. The choice between them can be based simply on availability or price. Regarding the ideal dosage, it has been shown that an indeterminate tomato plant, such as TRONUS RZ F1, ROBLE F1, LIBERTADOR F1, or ETEREI, requires approximately 33 grams of actual potassium throughout its entire production cycle to produce 10 kg of fruit. Using a fertilizer such as HIDROKOSECHA, with 40% potassium, requires 82.5 grams of the product per plant. This total should be divided according to the plant's phenological stages: Days 0 to 15 (post-transplant and pre-flowering): 10% of the total (8.25 g/plant) Days 15 to 30 (initial flowering): 20% (16.5 g/plant) Days 30 to 50 (initial fruit set): 20% (16.5 g/plant) Days 50 to 80 (fruit growth): 30% (24.75 g/plant) Harvest stage: remaining 20% ​​(16.5 g/plant) For example, in a plot with 1,000 tomato plants, 82.5 kg of fertilizer would be needed to cover the entire cycle. In the first 15 days, 8.25 kg would be applied, divided into 4 drench root fertilizations (days 2, 6, 10, and 15), using 2 kg of fertilizer per 100 liters of water, applied at a rate of 100 cc per plant each time. This fertilization model not only ensures an adequate supply of potassium, but also of nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace elements, which promotes optimal development of roots, stems, leaves, and fruits. It is important to consider that, although the soil may contain potassium reserves, more than half may be inaccessible to the plant due to leaching or blockage by other minerals. Therefore, controlled supplementation with fertilizers is essential. Keywords: tomato fertilization, potassium in crops, plant nutrition, water-soluble fertilizers, EDTA chelation, plant development, chonto tomato, Milano tomato, drench irrigation, tomato phenological stages, Hakaphos Base, Hidrokosecha, Irricol, Solutec Production, technical agriculture, balanced nutrition in tomatoes. Our WhatsApp contact: https://wa.me/3147614920 Our email: [email protected]