EFFECTS OF ZINC AND BORON FERTILIZATION ON THE YIELD OF BARI TOMATO-14 (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted in the net house of Soil Science Department at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from November 2015 to March 2016 to study the effects of zinc and boron on the yield of tomato. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were 12 treatment combinations comprising 4 levels of Zn (0, 1.5, 3.0&4.5 kg/ha designated as Zn & Zn 4.5, respectively) and 3 levels of B (0, 1.5& 3.0 kg/ha designated as B respectively). An amount of 14 kg soil was taken into each of 36 earthen pots. Zinc was added to soil as zinc sulphate (23% Zn) and boron as boric acid (17% B). All the plant parameters were influenced by the different levels of Zn application. The Zn treatment gave the maximum plant height (31.00 cm), maximum number of leaves plant -1 4.5 (28.22), maximum number of leaf branches (3.66), maximum number of flower clusters plant -1 (4.88), maximum number of flowers plant -1 (29.88), maximum number of fruits plant -1 0, 0 Zn 1.5 , B (25.00) and the maximum fruit yield plant

was (696.33g). For boron treatment, 3 kg B ha -1 also gave the best results in terms of all plant parameters. Thus the Zn 4.5 B treatment combination produced the maximum plant height (36.66cm),), maximum number of leavesplant 3.0 -1 (37.66),maximum number of leaf branches (4.66) while the Zn 4.5 B 1.5 treatment combination the maximum number of flower clusters plant (5.66), maximum number of flowers plant -1 (37.33),maximum number of fruits plant (31.00) and maximum fruit yield plant -1 was (798.00gm).This result indicates that the soil was deficient in Zn and B. For achieving satisfactory yield of tomato in this soil (AEZ 28: Madhupur Tract), an application of Zn at 4.5 kg Zn ha -1 coupled with 1.5 kg B ha is essential.

-1 -1 , Zn 1.5 -1 3.0 & B 3.0, -1