GROWTH AND YIELD OF CHERRY TOMATO GROWN WITH DIFFERENT LEVEL OF BORON FOLIAR SPRAY AND MULCHES IN SOILLESS SYSTEM

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted in the semi-greenhouse at the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e- Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh, during October 2019 to March 2020 to find out the growth and yield of cherry tomato as influenced by boron with mulch materials. The experiment consisted of two factors: Factor A: three types of mulch viz. M 0

= rice straw and M 2 = Black polythene and Factor B: Four doses of Boron fertilizer viz. B 1 = 0.5 ppm, B 2 = 1.5 ppm, B 3 = 2.5 ppm and B 4 = 3.5 ppm. There were 12 treatment combinations and experiment was setup in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. In case of mulch materials, the highest plant height at 60 DAT (178.67 cm), maximum branch number per plant (5.25) at 60 DAT, maximum chlorophyll content (85.22 %) at 75 DAT, minimum days required for first flowering (20.25 DAT) and first fruiting (30.50 DAT), maximum flower cluster per plant (38.42), maximum fruit number per plant (241.57), highest single fruit weight (9.06 g), highest amount of TSS (8.96 degrees Brix) and yield per plant (2.44 kg) were obtained from M 2

treatment. Similarly, in case of boron fertilizer, the highest plant height at 60 DAT (180.67 cm), maximum branch number per plant (5.67) at 60 DAT, maximum chlorophyll content (86.75 %) at 50 DAT, minimum days required for first flowering (21.33 DAT) and first fruiting (30.11 DAT), maximum flower cluster per plant (35.56), maximum fruit number per plant (256.76), highest single fruit weight (9.86 g), highest amount of TSS (8.59 degrees Brix) and yield per plant (2.63 kg) were obtained from B 3 treatment. In combined effect, the highest plant height at 60 DAT (191.76 cm), maximum branch number per plant (6.67) at 60 DAT, maximum chlorophyll content (102.33 %) at 50 DAT, minimum days required for first flowering (19.33 DAT) and first fruiting (27.33 DAT), maximum flower cluster per plant (41.33), maximum fruit number per plant (296.00), highest single fruit weight (12.08 g), highest amount of TSS (9.53 degrees Brix), yield per plant (3.31 kg) and highest benefit cost ratio (3.36) were obtained from M 2 B 3 treatment. Among the treatment combination, M 2 B 3 treatment seemed to be more promising for obtaining higher yield of cherry tomato. In cherry tomato cultivation, application of 2.5 ppm boron with black polythene mulch was more effective for growth, yield and profitable than rest of the treatment combination.