Effect of Effective Microorganism Applications on Growth, Yield and Fruit Nutrient Contents in Fresh Tomato

This study was carried out to develop a method to effectively utilize Bacillus subtilis S37-2 strain, which has been proven to promote growth and antifungal effect on tomato cultivation. Soil treated with the suspension of Bacillus subtilis S37-2 showed a tendency that the electric conductivity (EC) decreased and the organic matter and effective phosphoric acid content increased more than the soil before the test. Bacillus subtilis S37-2 treated with the suspension was thicker and 3~16% larger than the control. In addition, navel rot was reduced by 4.7~6.0%, and heat loss was decreased by 0.4~3.7%, and the product overspeed ratio increased by 5~10%. The functional substances and antioxidative activities of the Bacillus subtilis S37-2 suspension were diluted to 1.0×10 CFU mL−1 concentration, and the sugar content of the leaves treated with leaf surface treatment was increased by 0.5 °Bx and the content of lycopene and vitamin C and DPPH radical scavenging ability, which showed antioxidant activity, was the highest. When the suspension of Bacillus subtilis S37-2 was applied to the tomato cultivation, it was diluted to 1.0×10 CFU mL−1 concentration, and after five rounds of foliar application every 7 days after the tomato planting, the growth was promoted and the quality was improved respectively. Additional key words: Bacillus subtilis S37-2, Tomato, Growth promotion, Effective microorganism