Blossom end rot
Blossom end rot It is a physiological disorder of tomato that can appear on fruits at any time in their development, but most commonly appears when fruits are one-third to one-half grown. The initial symptoms are water-soaked spots on the blossom end of the fruit. These spots later enlarge and become black. Secondary infection by other decay causing organisms usually follows. The cause of this disorder is considered to be calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. Extreme fluctuations in moisture, root pruning and excessive nitrogen fertilization can also result in blossom end rot.
Control: Avoid excessive application of Nitrogen particularly in ammonium form. Application of lime or calcium based fertilizers (eg. Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) as basal dose is commonly used to control this physiological disorder. Foliar spray of Calcium chloride (3 g/litre of water) also controls this disorder.
