Comparative Evaluation of Soilless Growing Media for Enhancing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Yield and Nutritional Quality

Abstract

Aims: The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different growing media on the growth, yield, and nutritional quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under soilless farming conditions, as a sustainable alternative to traditional soil-based cultivation. Study Design: A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed to assess plant performance using five different growing media treatments. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the teaching and research farm of Faculty of Agricultural sciences, Ekiti State University and was carried out between July and December. Methodology: Five growing media were evaluated: cocopeat, rice husk, rice husk biochar, topsoil, and water. Tomato seedlings were transplanted into containers filled with the respective media. Growth parameters including plant height, stem girth, and number of leaves were recorded weekly for a period of six weeks. At harvest, yield parameters such as total fruit weight, fruit girth, fruit length, and number of fruits were measured. Additionally, the nutritional qualities of the harvested fruits were analyzed to assess treatment effects. Results: The highest values for plant height, number of leaves, and stem girth were observed in tomato plants that were grown using cocopeat, in terms of yield, tomato grown in rice husk was most productive with 1884g of fruits per plant compared to 831 g of fruits per plant for the tomato grown in top soil medium, also the number of fruits observed in tomato grown in rice husk was 91% more than that grown in soil. Overall, the media (rice husk biochar, rice husk, and cocopeat) significantly outperformed the soil medium in terms of fruit yield and growth characteristics, variations were also observed in the nutritional qualities with respect to the different media used. Conclusion: Soilless farming using alternative media especially those derived from agricultural waste enhances plant growth and fruit yield, thus, promoting sustainability.