GROWTH, YIELD AND NUTRIENT CONTENT OF TOMATO AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT GROWTH HORMONES

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Horticulture field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from October, 2016 to February, 2017 to study the growth, yield and nutrient content of tomato with different levels of auxin and gibberellic acid. The experiment consisted of two factors as four auxin level viz., Control (A 0 ), 20 ppm (A 1 ), 40 ppm (A 2 ) , 60 ppm (A ) and three gibberellic acid level viz., Control (G 0 ), 30 ppm (G 1 ), 50 ppm (G ii 2 ) . 3 The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with three replications. Experimental results showed that auxin had significant effect on growth, yield and nutrient content parameters except niacin content. The highest yield (4.35 kg plant ) was obtained from the 40 ppm auxin level and the lowest (2.67 kg plant -1 ) was from control level. The 40 ppm auxin level also produced maximum content of Potassium (2.63%), Phosphorous (1.11%) and Iron (306 ppm); 20 ppm produced Calcium (1.45%) and Magnesium (0.88%) maximum. Gibberellic acid also significantly influenced all the growth, yield and nutrient content parameters of tomato. The results revealed that 50 ppm gibberellic acid produced the highest yield (4.01 kg plant -1 ) and lowest (3.338 kg plant -1 ) was from control that was significantly similar with 30 ppm gibberellic acid level. Maximum Niacin (2.85%), Phosphorous (1.09%) and Iron (290.60 ppm) also produced by 50 ppm gibbelrellic acid, maximum Calcium (1.70%) and Magnesium (1.03%) from 30 ppm level and control produced the maximum Potassium (2.54%) content. In case of interaction effect of auxin and gibberellic acid, the highest yield (4.95 kg plant -1 ) was observed in 40 ppm auxin + 50 ppm gibberellic acid level. The maximum number of fruit per plant (44.15) was also obtained from 40 ppm auxin + 50 ppm gibberellic acid level. Maximum Calcium (2.24 %) and Magnesium (1.35 %) content was found from 20 ppm auxin + 30 ppm gibberellic acid level. 60 ppm auxin + control gibberellic acid produced the highest Potassium (3.66 %) content. 20 ppm auxin + control gibberellic acid and 20 ppm auxin + 50 ppm gibberellic acid produced the maximum Niacin (3.34 %) and Iron (414.7 ppm) content. The maximum phosphorous (1.2 %) content was found 60 ppm auxin + 30 ppm gibberellic acid level.