Effect of inter-row spacing with double row arrangement on yield and yield component of tomato (Lycopersicon esculuntum Mill.) at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center (Central Rift Valley of Oromia, Ethiopia)

Abstract

The effect of inter- row spacing with double row arrangement on yield and yield components of tomato (Lycopersicon esculuntum Mill.) was conducted at Adami Tulu agricultural research center, Ethiopia, during the season of 2007 and 2008 using irrigation. The experiment was conducted to determine the optimum inter-row spacing for tomato production with double row arrangement, using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 4 replications. Area occupied by a single plot was 4 m × 3 m with spacing of 1.5 m × 1 m between block and plot, respectively. There were a total of 5 treatments (inter- row spacing). The analyzed result at α = 0.05 indicated that ,there was no significance difference among treatments (100 × 30, 60 × 30, 50 × 30, 40 × 30 and 30 × 30 cm) between row and plant, respectively for marketable yield. Even though marketable yield showed no significance difference, 40 × 30 cm gave higher marketable yield (607.9 q/ha) followed by 60 × 30 cm and 50 × 30 cm (570.4 q/ha and 568 q/ha, respectively). From the treatments 100 x 30 cm inter -row spacing showed the least marketable yield (475.85 q/ha) as compared with the rest 4 treatments. Key words: Marketable, spacing, tomato, unmarketable, yield.