EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST AND SALINITY ON GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF TOMATO (BARI TOMATO 18)

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted at the research field in Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period of November 2019 to March 2020, to assess the effect of vermicompost and salinity on growth and yield of tomato. The experiment comprised of two factors: four levels of vermicompost (VC 0 = 7.11; VC 2 = 14.22; VC 3 =21.33 g pot -1 ) and three levels of salinity (S 0 =0; S 1 =

0; VC 1 =100; S 2 =200 mM) and was laid out on randomized complete block design with three replications. The result showed that the highest number of leaves plant -1 (17.56), number of flowers cluster (5.76), weight of fruit plant -1 (0.46 kg) were observed from VC 3, whereas the lowest number of leaves plant -1 (13.56), weight of fruit plant -1 (0.24 kg) were observed from VC 0. In case of salinity, the highest number of leaves plant -1 (17.17), number of clusters plant (4.75), number of flowers cluster 1 (13.30), weight of fruits plant -1 (6.10), number of flowers plant -1 -1 -1 -1 (29.21), number of fruits plant (0.49 kg), were observed from S 0 and the lowest number of leaves plant -1 (13.67), number of clusters plant -1 (3.25), number of flowers cluster

(4.35), number of flowers plant -1 (14.17), number of fruits plant -1 (6.27), weight of fruits plant -1 (0.21 kg) were observed from S 2. In case of interaction, the highest number of leaves plant -1 (20.67), number of flowers cluster -1 (7.19), number of flowers plant -1 (38.13), number of fruits plant -1 (18.25), weight of fruit plant -1 (0.72 kg), were observed from VC 3 whereas the lowest number of leaves plant -1 (12.67), number of flowers cluster -1 (4.17), number of cluster plant -1 (2.33), number of flowers plant -1 (10.00), number of fruits plant (5.08), weight of fruit plant -1 (0.16 kg) were observed from VC 0 S 2. The greatest residual effect of organic matter (1.46%), available sulphur (26.61 ppm), and available phosphorus (26.40 ppm) were observed from VC 3 S 0 and the lowest organic matter (1.30%) and available phosphorus (14.73 ppm) were observed from VC 0 S 2 . The greatest electrical conductivity (6.95 dSm -1 ) was observed from VC 2 S 2 on the contrary the lowest electrical conductivity (3.12 dSm -1 ) was observed from VC 2 S 0. It can be concluded that the treatment combination VC 3 S 0 can be considered as the best considering all other treatment combinations.

S 0, -1 - -1