08. Effect of row spacing and nitrogen levels on the growth and yield of tomato under walk-in polythene tunnel condition
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Abstract
To estimate the “Effect of row spacing and nitrogen levels on the growth and yield of tomato under walk-in polythene tunnel condition” an experiment was conducted at Sakhakot in collaboration with Agriculture Extension Department Dargai Malakand Agency, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan in the year 2011-12 to find out optimum row spacing for obtaining maximum yield of tomato under walk-in polythene tunnel condition and optimize the nitrogen level for higher tomato production. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement was used in the experiment, treatments were replicated three times. There were two factors i.e. different row spacing (60, 90, 120 cm) and nitrogen levels (0, 60, 100, 140 kg ha-1). Tomato cultivar “Sahil” was used for the experiment. More days to flowering (62.93), days to fruiting (85.44), plant height (264.73cm) and number of branches (58.89) was obtained when nitrogen was applied at 140 kg ha-1, while maximum number of fruits kg-1 (12.89) was recorded in control plots. The maximum number of fruits plant-1 (61.56), average fruit weight plant-1 (3.19 kg), fruit weight picking-1 plot-1 (17.78 kg) and yield (28.33 tones ha-1) were obtained when nitrogen was applied at 100 kg ha-1.Similarly in case of row spacing, higher days to flowering (52.03), days to fruiting (81.08), plant height (261.23cm) and number of branches (58.10) was obtained when plants were row spaced at 120 cm. More number of fruits kg-1 (11.58) was recorded from the plot, having 60 cm row spacing. The maximum number of fruits plant-1 (58.03), average fruit weight per plant (2.92 kg), fruit weight picking-1 plot-1 (16.89 kg) and yield (27.96 tones ha-1) were produced by the plots having 90 cm row spacing. Thus, it is concluded that Sahil cultivar treated with 100 kg N ha-1 row spaced at 90 cm must be used in Malakand for best tomato production.
Keywords: Tomato (Lycoperesicum esculentum); Row spacing; Nitrogen levels; Plant height; Tomato production