Absorption and assimilation of foliarly applied urea in tomato

Abstract

In short-term experiments (10 days), urea applied foliarly as the sole N source promoted growth of 'T-5' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seedlings. The optimum urea concentration in the spray solution was 0.2% (w/w), and the best application frequency was once a day. Higher urea concentrations suppressed growth, producing severe leaf damage. The growth observed with foliar urea was less than that observed when inorganic N was supplied to the nutrient solution. Tomato seedlings absorbed 75% of the foliar applied urea within 12 hours and 99% within 24 hours after application. Urea concentrations in the plant tissues increased rapidly after foliar application. The maximum concentration was obtained in shoots at 12 hours and in roots at 24 hours after application. After that, concentration in the tissue declined to its original value within 48 hours. Tissue ammonium concentrations also increased after foliar application of urea. Shoot and root ammonium concentrations reached a maximum after 12 hours and stayed constant for the remainder of the 48-hour observation period. In the long- term experiment (5 weeks), the growth obtained with daily foliar applications of urea as the sole N source was only 10% of that when mineral N was available in the nutrient solution. Ammonium concentrations in the tissues of urea-treated plants were higher than those of plants treated with mineral N in the nutrient solution. Although urea concentrations were initially higher in plants treated with mineral N, after 2 weeks urea concentrations declined in these plants and increased in the shoots of plants receiving foliar applications of urea. These results indicate 1) that urea applied foliarly can supply at least part of the N required to sustain growth; 2) that urea is absorbed and assimilated fast enough to alleviate N deprivation; and 3) that failure to promote rapid growth with foliar urea is probably due to phytotoxicity and not to N deprivation.