EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES AND LEVELS OF PHOSPHORUS ON YIELD OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during the period from December 2021 to April 2022 under the AEZ 28 (Madhupur tract), to assess effects of different levels and different sources of P on yield of tomato. The experiment comprised a single factor comprising seven treatments viz. T 0 P 0 (P control); T 1 (from DAP); T 5 P 60 P 20 (from TSP); T 2 (from TSP); T 6 P 60 ii P 20 (from DAP); T 3 P 40 (from TSP); T 4 (from DAP). This experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three (3) replications. Data were collected on different aspects of growth and yield attributes of tomato including soil properties and nutrient contents. The results revealed that treatment T 5 , T 4 , and T 6 respectively exhibited its superiority compared to other treatments in terms of fruit yield of tomato. The maximum plant height (56.17 cm) was observed at T 4 . At 70 DAT, the longest plant (144.45 cm) was recorded from the T 3 treatment. The maximum number of leaves plant -1 (153.33) was recorded from the T 6 treatment. At 70 DAT, the maximum number of branches plant (15.00) was recorded from the treatment T 5 . The maximum number of leaf branches -1 (17.67) was recorded from the T 5 treatment. The maximum number of fruits plant -1 -1 (41.00) was observed at T 6 . The fruit’s dry weight ranged from 79.29 g to 115.63 g. All the observed fruit dry weights were statistically similar. The maximum fruit yield plant -1 (4.13 kg, 3.86 kg, and 3.79 kg) was observed at T 5 , T 4 , and T 6 respectively. In the case of soil properties, the highest organic carbon (0.85%) was noted in treatments T 4 and T 5 . Both are statistically similar, and the maximum soil pH (6.32, 6.24, and 6.17) was recorded in T 2 , T 1 , and T 0 treatments respectively in postharvest soil. Considering the soil nutrients, the highest available P content in soil

(23.0 ppm)

was recorded in the T 5

treatment and the maximum potassium content in soil (0.129 meq. /100 g soil) was recorded from the treatment T 5.