EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FERTILIZER SOURCES AND LEVELS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATOES

Abstract

This investigation was carried out to study the effect of different sources and levels !lin the growth, fruit yield and fruit quality of tomato plants grown under sandy soil conditions. The experiment included 18 treatments arranged in split­ split plot design. The experiments treatments were 3 levels of chiken manure, namely I 0.20 and 40m3/ fed (main plot ). two treatments of biofertilization, i.e. inoculation with rhizobactrien + phosphorien and without inoculation ( sub main plots ). and 3 levels of NPK mineral fertilizer, namely zero, 50% and I 00% of the recommended lenl (sub sub plots), the recommended dose of NPK was Ill kg\. 86 kg P20; and 146 kg k20 I fed. The experiment was conducted during the summer season of 1999 and 2000 using c.v. wady star hybrid. The present resulted indicated that using 40 m3 chiken manure I fed resulted in getting the highest values of plant growth characters ( plant height. number of leaHs I plant. . number of branches I plant. fresh weight. of leaHs I plant. fresh weight of ; branches I plant. fresh weight of roots/ plant. fresh weight of plants. dry weight 'of leaHs I plant. dry weight of branches I plant. dry weight of roots I plant and dry "eight of plant). Leaves and branches contents of!'i.P.K and Ca. leaHs contents of :\ln.Zn and Cu. Early and total yield. Of tomato fruits and fruit contents of ascorbic acid. Similarly, using 100% of the recommended level of mineral \PK increased plant height. fresh and dry weight of different plant I organs. plant contents ofN. p and k. early• and total y•ield of fruits and fruit :contents of ascorbic acid and total sugars. as compared .in the zero mineral I fertilization. The effect of biofertilizer on plant caracters was either inconstant, like plant height, number of leaves I plant, fresh weight of roots I plant. plant, I fresh weight, dry weight of Branches I plant or not significant such as number of 1 branches. fresh and dry weights of leaves I plant, dry weight of plant roots, plant I dry weight, plant contents of different mineral element, fruit contents of ascorbic acid and total acidity, and early yield of fruits. On the other hand, biofertilizer increased total yield of fruits as well as fruit contents of total sugars and total soluble solids.