Effects of Potassium Fertilization, Cultivar Specifics and Seedling Temperature Regime on Growth Parameters and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

Background: Potassium fertilization shows beneficial effect on formation of tomato vegetative biomass and productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which split potassium application and seedling temperature regime affects the growth parameters (leaf number, leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI) and yield of various tomato cultivars. Methods: A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of single dose and split potassium fertilization treatments, cultivar specifics and seedling temperature regime on growth parameters and yield of tomato. Ten high yielding classic round shape tomato cultivars with determinate growth habitat were planted on Fluvisol. Single and split potassium fertilization treatments were tested. Result: The seedlings growth temperature regime and splitting the potassium fertilization treatment did not have a significant effect on the development of leaf biomass in tomato plants. Results revealed that leaf number, leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI of tomato plants was significantly affected by the cultivar genetic factor. Tomato yield were significantly affected by cultivars and split potassium fertilization treatments. Cultivars that measured the highest leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI and were also the highest yielding ones. A positive correlation between LAI and tomato fruit yield was observed.