Processing tomato is the second most important worldwide cash crop, generally produced in high-input systems. However, fruit yield and quality are affected by agronomic management, particularly nitrogen (N) fertilization, whose application to indeterminate growth genotypes for canning has yet to be investigated in depth. Hence, the objective of this work was to assess the effects of different N rates (0, 50, 125, 200, 275, and 350 kg ha-1) on fruit yield and quality characteristics of processing tomato 'San Marzano' landrace. The results of our study showed that 125 and 200 kg of N ha-1 are the most appropriate rates in soil with high fertility, ensuring the highest values of marketable yield and brix yield. However, plants fertilized with 125 kg of N ha-1 attained higher values of N efficiency and fruit K and P concentrations than plants fertilized with 200 kg of N ha-1. Our results suggest that overdoses of N supplies negatively affected fruit yield and quality of San Marzano landrace grown in high soil fertility conditions, also reducing the agricultural sustainability. Hence, specific agronomic protocol and extension services are required to optimally manage tomato crop systems.
Keywords: Brix; N-efficiency; Solanum lycopersicum L.; harvest index; mineral composition; nitrate; sustainability.