ChileanJAR

A study was conducted in the Pencahue Valley, recently introduced to intensive tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) production, to evaluate the effects of application of different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer levels on the yield and quality of processing tomatoes. The experimental design was a split plot with 4 repetitions. The main treatment was the application 00 levels ofirrigation (50, 90 and 130% ofpan evaporation by Kc factor corresponding to the phenological state ofthe crop), and the sub-treatment was of3 levels of nitrogen (50, 150 and 300 kg ha^-1). An interaction between the levels of irrigation and nitrogen was observed on yield, having the highest yield with 50 kg ha^-1 of N and water application equivalent to 90 and 130% pan evaporation. No treatment effect was observed on rejected fruit, soluble solids and dry matter content. The only quality parameter affected by the treatments was fruit pH. There was no interaction aside from the principal effects of nitrogen and irrigation. A higher pH was obtained with smaller volumes of N and water.