Influence of drip irrigation and mineral fertilization on anatomy, morphology and yield of dwarf and highbush tomato

Field experiments were done in 1999-2001 in north-western Poland, on sandy soil to assess the influence of drip irrigation and mineral fertilization on some features and yield of high bush and dwarf tomato. As result of applied irrigation the yield of tomato increased by 34, 20 and 29% of the early, total and marketable fruit, respectively. The largest crop gave tomatoes which had been fertilized with 340 kg NPK(.)ha(-1). The dwarf tomato cv. 'Betalux' yielded better than the high cv. 'Kora', by 41% of marketable fruit, and by 66% of the total crop. The irrigated and fertilized plants developed larger leaf surface, number and weight of leaves. Both measures influenced also some features of the stalk, leaf and fruit. Fertilization significantly increased the width of sclerenchyma, other features changed only to some extent. As far as the fruit was concerned, irrigation caused only an increase of the thickness of epidermis and its cell walls. The influence of fertilization was not significant.