RESPONSE OF TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCORPERSICUM L.) TO TRANSPLANTING AGE AND NUTRIENT SOURCE IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out for two years during the dry seasons of 2020 and 2021 to study the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to transplanted age and nutrient source in Miri ward, Bauchi state, Nigeria. Five transplanted ages (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks) after emergence from nursery and three nutrient sources, mineral fertilizer NPK, poultry manure, and control were used for the study. The five transplanted ages and three nutrient sources gave 15 treatment combinations and these were factorially combined and laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three (3) replications. During the research, growth characters such as plant height, number of branches and stem diameter were measured. Similarly, yield characters such as number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, and fruit yield/hectare were also measured. The results obtained revealed that tomato respond to both transplanted age and nutrient source. Transplanting 5 weeks old seedlings significantly (P≤0.05) led to higher growth characters such as plant height, number of branches, stem diameter and yield characters such as fruit yield/ha than the other transplanted ages used. Among the different nutrient sources applied, application of poultry manure at the rate of 9t/ha and NPK at the rate of 110:45:45kg/ha produced significantly (P<0.05) higher growth characters such as plant height, branches, stem diameter and yield characters such as fruit weight and fruit yield (kg/ha). Based on the findings of this study, transplanting 5 weeks old seedlings and application of either poultry manure at the rate of 9t/ha, or NPK 15:15:15 at the rate of 110:45:45kg/ha led to higher yield of tomato than the control and can be used by farmers to improve tomato production in the study area.