Influence of calcium sprays and pickings on seed quality parameters of tomato grown under naturally ventilated polyhouse condition

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Seed Quality and Research Laboratory of National Seed Unit, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during kharif 2010–11, to find out the effect of calcium sprays and pickings on seed quality parameters of tomato under naturally ventilated polyhouse condition. The treatment combination comprising of four stages of calcium sprays, viz., control (C1), weekly (C2), fortnightly (C3) and monthly spray (C4) and five pickings, viz., 1st picking (P1), 2nd picking (P2), 3rd picking (P3), 4th picking (P4) and 5th picking (P5). Application of fortnightly calcium spray (C3) recorded significantly higher seed quality parameters, viz., 1000-seed weight (2.62 g), seed germination (89.06%), root length (3.87 cm), shoot length (9.57 cm), dry weight of seedlings (15.88 mg) and vigour index (1201). Among the pickings, second picking (P2) recorded significantly higher seed weight (3.02 g), seed germination (96.45%), root length (4.06 cm), shoot length (10.58 cm), dry weight of seedlings (16.46 mg) and vigour index (1352).