Nutrition and biomass allocation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plant influenced by mulching and organic fertilizers

The effects of organic fertilizers, based on Tithonia diversifolia, and in-organic fertilizers, based on hydroponics fertilizer, were evaluated on the performance, leaves, and fruit mineral concentrations of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants grown under soilless medium in a screen house. The treatments comprised six levels of liquid organic fertilizer (5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 mL), in-organic fertilizer, and a control. Both organic and in-organic fertilizers increased the growth, yield, leaf nutrient concentration, and the mineral contents of tomato and cucumber fruits in comparison with the control. In-organic fertilizer enhanced the performance and mineral concentrations of tomato and cucumber fruits in comparison with organic fertilizer. However, leaf analyses showed that all the essential elements for both tomato and cucumber crops were within the adequate ranges in the organic fertilizer treatments suggesting that this organic fertilizer can be used as an alternative to the expensive and scarce in-organic fertilizer. For organic fertilizer, the highest yield and mineral contents in fruits were attained at doses of 35 mL and 25 mL for tomato and cucumber plants, respectively. At these doses, the fruit weights of tomato and cucumber were increased by 137 and 198%, respectively, in comparison with the control. For a good yield of tomato and cucumber crop with a high fruit mineral content under the soilless medium of coco peat and rice husk, 35 mL and 25 mL of our tested organic fertilizer are recommended.

The ability of nematode trapping fungi and egg-parasitising fungi to colonize and persist in the rhizosphere of crop plants is thought to be an important factor influencing the success of biological control of root infecting nematodes. In this study, two strains of an egg parasitic fungus Verticillium chlamydosporium (Vc- 10 and Vc-2M) and one isolate of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora were evaluated to determine their pathogenicity to Meloidogyne incognita and persistence in the rhizosphere of celery (Apium graveolus L.) and tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants in a greenhouse experiment. The isolates tested differed significantly (P≤0.05) in their pathogenicity to M. incognita and survival in the rhizosphere. Isolate Vc-10 of V. chlamydosporium was the most virulent pathogen of the nematode. Root galling was lowest (P≤0.05) in tomato plants treated with the isolate Vc-10 (2.2); pots treated with this isolate had the lowest final soil population of infective juveniles; there was a 62.2% and 98.5% infections of eggs and egg-masses respectively by Vc-10 on tomato plants. Isolates Vc-10 and Vc-2M of V. chlamydosporium persisted in the soil and could be re-isolated from the rhizosphere and roots of tomato plants at least 16 weeks after soil infestation. The final inoculum density was, however, higher (P≤0.05) for Vc-10 (1.35×105 cfu/g soil) than Vc-2M (9.25×104 cfu/g soil). A. oligospora on the other hand did not give any significant (P≤0.05) control of the nematode on both crops, there was severe galling on the roots of celery plants (7.4) and tomato plants (6.3) treated with this biological control agent. A. oligospora could not be re-isolated from the plant rhizosphere sixteen weeks after soil infestation. Lack of nematode control on both crops by A. oligospora was attributed to its poor or no establishment in the plant rhizosphere. The fact that it could not be reisolated from the rhizosphere may imply that the fungus did not survive in the rhizosphere of the test plants. Keywords: Verticillium, Arthrobotrys, Meloidogyne, rhizosphere, persistence, root-knots, chlamydospores. J. Trop. Microbiol. Biotechnol. Vol. 3 (2) 2007: pp. 51-58

The study was carried out to determine the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on tomato yield and soil quality. The study was performed in a randomized complete block design consisting of 7 treatments with 3 replications in the research farm, Shaikh Zayed University, Khost, Afghanistan. The fertilizers treatments were T1, organic fertilizer (5 t/ha); T2, organic fertilizer (10 t/ha); T3, urea (150 Kg/ha); T4, urea (200 Kg/ha); T5, mixed fertilizers (organic fertilizer 3 t/ha + urea (100 Kg/ha); T6, mixed fertilizers (organic fertilizer 6 t/ha + urea (70 Kg/ha) and T7 a control. Results indicate that applications of inorganic fertilizers with a combination of organic fertilizers increased tomato yield and improves the nutrient status of the soil. T5 showed the highest yield of tomato and followed by T4 treatment, which were 33.1 and 31.7 t/ha respectively. The lower yield were obtained in T7 and T1 treatments. The highest plant heights (205.0 and 199.0 cm) were obtained in T5 and T4 respectively, while the lowest plant heights were obtained in T1 treatment and followed by T7 treatment. Similarly, we found that a combination of both inorganic and organic fertilizers application also is the best strategy to improve soil nutrients, maintain soil fertility. Soil P2O5 and K2O, where the highest amounts were obtained in T5 and followed by T6, which were 26.5, 22.5 and 44.5 and 41.5 mg/L respectively. The control treatment had the lowest amount of P2O5 and K2O. Therefore, this study suggests that an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer not only increased tomato yield but also improve soil fertility.

Using of mustard oil cake in safe organic aquaculture through increasing pond primary productivity

The role of aquaculture in world fisheries. Proceedings of the World Fisheries Congress, Theme 6: Tor G. Heggberget (Editor), 244 pp., price US$ 68.00, ISBN 188 6106 290

Boron deficiency frequently affects long distance transport of nutrients in plants. In this investigation K, Ca and Mg distributions in shoots and roots of tomato plants under conditions of short-time B deficiency were studied. Plants were grown in water cultures with variation in B supply: 0.0 (−B) and 0.5 (+B)mgL−1. Soluble and insoluble fractions of nutrients were obtained from leaves and roots sampled after 1, 2, 7 and 10 days of B treatments. Ca concentrations were found to be most affected by absence of B. The insoluble Ca fraction in roots increased by 188% over the control after 2 days without B. Simultaneously, the soluble Ca fraction in −B folioles was only 84% of that in control treatment. Similar trends were observed in both organs throughout the experimental period. K and Mg appeared to be only slightly affected by short-time B deficiency. The results suggest a specific effect of B on Ca translocation and on its incorporation into insoluble forms, i.e. as cell wall components in tomato plants.

Detection of tomatinase from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in infected tomato plants

The aim of the study. The main objective of the work was to study the influence of different nitrogen fertilization rates applied on the background of organic fertilizer on the nutrients (NPK) content in the grey-brown (Gypsisol) at different phases of tomato plants' development on the Absheron Peninsula. Location and time of the study. Field experiments were conducted in 5 variants according to the following scheme: control (without fertilizers); manure (10 t/ha) + N0P90K90 (background); background + N30; background + N60; background + N90. Results of the study. It was found that the studied gray-brown soil had low content of humus, nitrogen and phosphorus, while having potassium closer to the regular content. The article discusses agrochemical properties of the agricultural gray-brown soil. The combined use of mineral and organic fertilizers was shown to increase nutrients content in soil, especially in the flowering phase of tomato plants. In the course of nutrients uptake from soil by tomato plants due to their development and growth the nutrients content (especially nitrogen and potassium) in soil decreased. The greatest gain in tomato yield (30%) was obtained when N90 were applied on the background of 10 t/ha of manure and N0P90K90, the yield of tomato fruits reaching 518 c/ha. Conclusion: To obtain high yields of tomato fruits on the gray-brown soil (Gypsisol) of the Absheron Peninsula combined organic and mineral fertilization can be recommended.

The utilization of organic fertilizers is currently on the rise to sustain higher food quality while minimizing environmental pollution. Mulching with organic materials maintains soil physical conditions, crucial for realizing a crop’s genetic yield potential even when all other requirements are met. Hence, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of mustard oil cake (MOC), poultry manure (PM) and vermicompost (V) alone and in combination with mulching (Mu) on growth and yield parameters of Tomato. Significant increases were (p ≤ 0.05) observed in plant height, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth, root length and root girth of tomato plants compared to the control (T1), where no fertilizers were applied. At 90 days after transplantation (DAT), the T9 (V8Mu0) treatment resulted in the highest plant height (142 cm) and the longest root length (25 cm) while the maximum quantity of fresh weight (154.63 g plant-1) for tomato plant was obtained from the treatment T6, which received vermicompost at 4 t ha-1 with mulching. Application of poultry manure at the rate of 8 t ha-1 without mulching (T8) resulted in a significant higher number (14 fruits plant-1) of green tomatoes. Fresh weight of green tomatoes were varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) among the treatments with the maximum fresh weight obtained from the T₉ (128.97 g plant-1) and the minimum from T₁ (12.73 g plant-1) treatments. Nitrogen, P, K, Ca, Mg and S of green tomatoes varied significantly among the treatments. The utmost P, K, S, Ca and Mg contents (0.72, 6.26, 0.23, 0.54 and 0.31 g kg-1, respectively) of green tomatoes were recorded in the treatment T₆ (V₄Mu). Hence, the utilization of organic fertilizers, either alone or in conjunction with mulching, markedly enhanced the growth and yield of the tested vegetable, offering viable strategies for enhancing the yield potential. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 33(2): 53-65, 2024 (July)

Using symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi (AM) to manage crop yield and soil health is essential to ensuring sustainable agricultural ecosystems. In this study, the AM’s presence and symbiotic structure in the soil and roots of tomato plants in Lam Dong area were investigated. Also, the ability of the most common AM genus in this area, Rhizophagus irregularis, with corn, rice, and tomato plants was evaluated. Tomato plants in the Lam Dong area had vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) symbiosis, with the symbiosis rate ranging from 53.1 to 81.3%. There were three types of symbiotic structures in VAM, wherein filamentous and vesicular structures predominated over dust. The genus Gigaspora dominated with 63.4%, followed by the genus Acaulospora (27.4%), the genus Glomus (9.7%), and spores from other unnamed genera (1.9%). When five spores of the genus Gigaspora were inoculated into the growing substrate at the stage of the formation of two true leaves, they showed good symbiosis with the roots of corn and tomato plants and had the best proliferation rate. On the other hand, Rhizophagus irregularis had weak synergy with all three plant types (corn, tomato, and rice).

Over reliance on inorganic fertilizers as a crop nutrient source has left undesirable consequences on the soil and soil environment in the soil of Nigeria. One of the direct consequences is low yield of crops occasioned by imbalances in soil nutrients. It is expedient to adopt organic inputs in order to overcome some of these challenges. In this regard a field trial was conducted in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the efficacy of organic fertilizer as a soil nutrient input for tomato cultivation in Makurdi. The experiment consisted of six (6) levels of compost manure (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) t/ha. The treatments were laid in Randomised Complete Block Design and replicated three (3) times. It was observed that organic fertilizer remarkably increased the concentration of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients content in the soil. Also, applications of compost at 1.0 t/ha produced plants with higher growth and yield parameters. Lower plant yields were obtained from non fertilizer treatments. Hence, organic fertilizer is recommended as a suitable agricultural input for sustainable production of tomato in the study area.

Over reliance on inorganic fertilizers as a crop nutrient source has left undesirable consequences on the soil and soil environment in the soil of Nigeria. One of the direct consequences is low yield of crops occasioned by imbalances in soil nutrients. It is expedient to adopt organic inputs in order to overcome some of these challenges. In this regard a field trial was conducted in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the efficacy of organic fertilizer as a soil nutrient input for tomato cultivation in Makurdi. The experiment consisted of six (6) levels of compost manure (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) t/ha. The treatments were laid in Randomised Complete Block Design and replicated three (3) times. It was observed that organic fertilizer remarkably increased the concentration of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients content in the soil. Also, applications of compost at 1.0 t/ha produced plants with higher growth and yield parameters. Lower plant yields were obtained from non fertilizer treatments. Hence, organic fertilizer is recommended as a suitable agricultural input for sustainable production of tomato in the study area.

In a greenhouse experiment, tomato plants were grown in sand culture to test whether different fertilization regimes (mineral or organic fertilizers) at low (500 mg N plant–1 week–1) and high (750 mg N plant–1 week–1) nitrogen levels affected yield, nutritional quality, and taste of the fruits. In the mineral‐fertilizer treatments, nitrate‐ or ammonium‐dominated nutrient solutions were used. Organic fertilizer was supplied as fresh cut grass‐clover mulch (a total of 2.4 kg and 3.6 kg were given per plant at low and high N level, respectively) without (orgN) and with additional sulfur fertilization (orgN+S). Yields of red tomatoes from the organically fertilized plants were significantly lower (1.3–1.8 kg plant–1) than yields from plants that received mineral fertilizer (2.2–2.8 kg plant–1). At the final harvest, yields of green tomatoes in the organic treatment with extra sulfur were similar (1.1–1.2 kg plant–1) to the NO$ _3^- $‐dominated treatments at both nutrient levels and the NH$ _4^+ $‐dominated treatment at high nutrient level. Organic fertilizers released nutrients more slowly than mineral fertilizers, resulting in decreased S and P concentrations in the leaves, which limited growth and yield in the orgN treatments. Analysis of tomato fruits and plants as well as taste‐test results gave no conclusive answer on the relationship between sugar or acid contents in the fruits, macronutrient content of plant leaves and fruits, and perceived taste. Sugar contents were higher in the fruits given mineral fertilizer, whereas acid contents were higher in the fruits given organic fertilizer. Preference in taste was given to the tomatoes from plants fertilized with the nitrate‐dominated nutrient solution and to those given organic fertilizer with extra sulfur. Thus, a reduction in growth, which was expected to lead to a higher concentration of compounds like sugars and acids, did not result in better taste. Overall, it can be concluded that an appropriate nutrient supply is crucial to reach high yields and good taste.

Globally a huge amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is being produced which is very difficult to dispose. Composting of MSW is one of the options of solid waste recycling, but its use by the farmers is limited because of its low nutrient status. This study has considered some organic amendments to increase nutrient status of MSW compost for its potential use as an organic fertilizer in rice cultivation. We prepared three types of amended compost by mixing 20% mustard oil cake (MOC) and 30% poultry manure (PM) or cow dung (CD) or sugarcane press mud (SPM) with 50% MSW compost. The inoculum of Trichoderma viride was used to accelerate the composting process. The use of different amendments improved the nutrient level of MSW compost. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performances of amended MSW composts alone and in combination with chemical fertilizers on yield, nutrient content and balance in rice (var. BRRI dhan28). The experiment was conducted in 2018 at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) farm, Mymensingh having silt loam texture, pH in water of 6.7 and 2.79% organic matter; the soil was Aeric Haplaquept under the order Inceptisols. There were 10 treatments consisting of chemical fertilizers (urea, triple superphosphate, muriate of potash, gypsum and zinc sulphate) and four types of MSW compost (three amended and one unamended). Based on the results of yield and N, P, K and S concentration of rice grain, the treatment containing 50% fertilizers +10 t ha−1 of amended compost (MSW + MOC + SPM in a ratio of 5:2:3) performed the best. There were apparent negative balances for N (11–45 kg ha−1) and K (6–48 kg ha−1), and positive balances for P (8–71 kg ha−1) and S (4–46 kg ha−1) in soils, across the treatments. Results of this study have significant value in fertilizer management strategies for rice cultivation in sub-tropical countries.

The production and harvest areas of tomatoes in West Kalimantan tend to decrease. One of the cultivation techniques that is expected to increase the yield and quality of the plant is by using organic fertilizers. The study objective was to determine the effects of interactions between cellulolytic fungi and biofertilizer doses on the growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in alluvial soils. A completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial patterns was applied in the research. The first factor which was cellulolytic fungi in biofertilizers (J) included: J0 (organic fertilizer without decomposer), J1 (organic fertilizer with Aspergillus sp.), J2 (organic fertilizer with Trichoderma spp.), and J3 (organic fertilizer with Aspergillus sp. and Trichoderma spp.). The second factor that was of biofertilizer doses (D) consisted of: D1 (25 g / polybag), D2 (50 g / polybag), D3 (75 g / polybag), and D4 (100 g / polybag). The results showed no significant difference between the cellulolytic fungi and biofertilizer doses on all observation variables (p > 0.05). There was no significant main effect of cellulolytic fungus type on all observation variables, while the treatment of biofertilizer doses had a significant effect on plant height, total leaf number per plant, fruit number per plant, and fruit weight per plant. The J3D4 treatment gave the best results on the plant height (97.67 cm) and the leaf number (18.17 strands), while the J2D4 treatment gave the best results on the fruit number per plant (3.31 fruits), and the fruit weight per plant (13.32 g). The addition of cellulolytic fungi to biofertilizers at a dose of 100 g / polybag can increase growth and yield on tomatoes in alluvial soil.