Efficacy of different agro-techniques on growth, yield and disease incidence on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum l.) crop of north western Himalayan region

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2 consecutive years (2017-18 and 2018-19)with 12 treatment combinations at Vegetable Research Farm, Nauni, Solan with an objective to study the effects of different planting methods, mulches and training systems on flowering, fruiting, yield and incidence of diseases of tomato (Solanum Lycopsersicum L.) var. Solan Lalima. Plants grown on raised beds had minimum incidence of buckeye rot (4.19%), severity of Alternaria leaf blight (3.80%), incidence of bacterial leaf spot (2.38%) and incidence of Fusarium wilt (3.45%) and higher yield per plot (127.57 kg) and per hectare (899.96 q). Black polythene mulch responded best for lower incidence of buckeye rot (4.45%), severity of Alternaria leaf blight (4.01%), incidence of bacterial leaf spot (2.47%) and incidence of Fusarium wilt (3.62%) and higher yield per plot (129.42 kg) and per hectare (913.05 q), respectively. T1 also recorded lower incidence of buckeye rot (4.09%), severity of Alternaria leaf blight (3.67%), incidence of bacterial leaf spot (2.33%) and incidence of Fusarium wilt (3.36%) and higher yield per plot (46.46 kg) and per hectare (327.74 q). Regarding consortium effect, the minimum incidence of buckeye rot (3.46%), severity of Alternaria leaf blight (2.80%), incidence of bacterial leaf spot (1.84%) and incidence of Fusarium wilt (2.60%) disease was recorded in P1M1T1 treatment combination (raised bed + black polythene mulch + two stem training system). This combination was also better for all the growth and yield contributing characters.