Seaweed Extract Improved Yields, Leaf Photosynthesis, Ripening Time, and Net Returns of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.)

Overuse of chemical fertilizers in the intensive greenhouse tomato cultivation system has limited the increase of plant production. Nowadays, seaweed extract has been gradually applied in agriculture as an effective way to achieve a higher yield of crops, but its effects on tomato cultivation have not been fully explored. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in Shandong province of China with a novel seaweed extract (SES) originated from Sargassum horneri, to investigate the effects of different doses of SES (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg hm(-2)) on yields, quality, ripening time, and net returns of tomato. The results indicated that the application of SES significantly increased tomato yield by 4.6-6.9% compared to the control, which is attributed to the improved photosynthetic capacity of tomato leaves. The yields of tomato increased first and then decreased with increasing dosage of SES, and SES applied at the dose of 60 kg hm(-2) achieved the highest tomato yield. Compared to the control, SES at 60 and 90 kg hm(-2) significantly increased the hardness of tomato by 10.2 and 19.8%, respectively, and this can help to reduce losses during transportation and storage. Moreover, SES shortened the ripening time of tomato, and the coincidence between tomato harvest and sale price peak achieved a high net return.