Effects of Zn fertilization on antioxidative capacity and flavor quality of tomato fruit

The experiment was carried out to study the effects of different Zn2+ treatments on yield and flavor quality of tomato（Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.）fruits by designing different concentration of zinc sulfate in nutrition solution. The results showed that the yield, chlorophyll content and POD activity are decreased under both deficiency and overplus of Zn2+ treatments, while MDA content of leaves is increased significantly. SOD activity of leaves under the Zn2+ deficiency is lower than that of the control, while it is not changed under the high level of Zn2+. Acid content of the fruits is increased under the two treatments, while the Vc content is decreased. Moreover, soluble substance content of the fruits is obviously decreased under the Zn2+ deficiency treatment, while it seems no remarkable change under the overplus Zn2+ treatment. In addition, contents of lycopene, total phenolics and total flavonoid of the fruits are all decreased under the two treatments and the types of aroma compounds are changed, while the antioxidative capacities are not markedly changed. Therefore, suitable Zn2+ fertilization is an important factor for producing high yield and quality of tomato fruits.