Carbon – Nitrogen ratio

You must be aware of the carbon-nitrogen ratio of the soils as well as the plants during the growth and development of the plants if you are growing tomatoes. Success of growing tomatoes is also dependent on the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the soils where you are growing tomatoes. Tomato plants have also varying content of carbon and nitrogen. Tomato plants behave differentially as the soil type varies with respect to the carbon-nitrogen ratio.

Higher is the carbon-nitrogen ratio in the soils, higher will be carbon-nitrogen ratio of the tomato plants. Lower is the carbon-nitrogen ratio in the soils, lower will be the carbon-nitrogen ratio of the tomato plants. Higher concentration of carbon is preferred in the soils for proper growth of roots and plant system. If nitrogen content of the soils is very high, it means the carbon to nitrogen ration is low; then the tomato plants too have higher content of nitrogen. As the result of which, the tomato plants will excessively grow vegetative. Then, the fruit setting of the crop of the tomato may be negatively affected. If the tomato plants set fruits enough, the fruits may damage due to disease attack.

Tomato plants can set fruits if the plants have moderate foliar growth and proper balance of carbohydrate and nitrogen level. If nitrogen content is very high in the plant system, tomato plants will grow vigorously. Then all carbohydrate will be utilized for the vegetative growth and carbohydrate content of the tomato plants will be very low for fruit setting. As the result of which the plants will not set fruits even though the tomato plants have high flower density. Fruit setting will only happen if there is abundant carbohydrate accumulation in the plants over the actual requirement for vegetative growth.

Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers makes the tomato plants weak even though it appears green, attracting and good vigor. If you apply nitrogen fertilizers excessively, the tomato plants will have higher concentration of nitrogen in comparison to the concentration of carbon in the tomato plant system. Then there will be very low carbon-nitrogen ratio. In other words, the balance of the carbon-nitrogen ratio will be disturbed. It will make the tomato plants weak. As the result of which, the tomato plants will be susceptible to several diseases. In such condition, tomato plants may yield fruit but the fruit will damage. The fruits will not be saleable. So be careful in the fact.

Once the gardeners have started growing tomatoes, the plants will grow and reach reproductive maturity. Then the tomato plants start flowering and setting fruits. After initiation of the fruit sets in the tomato plants, the plants will require six to seven weeks for the fruit development. In the tomato plant, duration of the fruit filling to reach full size and its maturity also depend on the temperature of environment where they are is grown. Here fruit filling and maturity are meant for the cell division of the set fruits, and expansion of the cells of the tomato fruits in the plants.

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