Effects of N P K S and cow dung on growth and yield of tomato

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University farm to assess the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizers on vegetative, flowering and fruiting characteristics as well as yield attributes and yield of Ratan variety of tomato. The plots were treated with three levels each of N (62, 100 and 200 kg/ha), P (11.7, 17.5 and 35 kg/ha), K (26.7, 40 and 80 kg/ha), S (5, 7.5 and 15 kg/ha) and cowdung (5, 10 and 15 t/ha). There were three replications for each treatment. The highest plant height and dry weight of shoot, the maximum number of clusters of flowers and fruits/plant as well as the greatest fruit size and fruit yield/plant, fruit yield/ha were obtained from the application of the recommended dose of nutrients viz. 200 kg N + 35 kg P + 80 kg K + 15 kg S/ha, but similar results were obtained from the treatment receiving 5t cow dung/ha along with half of the recommended doses of nutrients (100 kg N+ 17.5 kg P + 40 kg K + 7.5 kg S/ha). The effect of 10t cow dung per ha, along with one third of the recommended dose of nutrients, was also comparable to the effect of employing the recommended dose of nutrients. It was further observed, from an economic standpoint, that the combination of 5t cow dung/ha along with half of the recommended doses of nutrients appeared to be a viable treatment which would offer the maximum benefit concerning cost ratio (4.38) for tomato production in the shallow red- brown terrace soil (AEZ-28) of Bangladesh.