Effect of Combined Micronutrients on Growth Yield and Quality of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) var. Pusa Gaurav

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to study the influence of combined micronutrients on the growth, yield, and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) var. Pusa Gaurav during the Rabi season of 2024–2025 at the Horticulture Research Farm, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Allied Industries, Rama University, Kanpur (U.P.). The results indicated that the treatment T₁: FeSO₄ 50 ppm + Boric Acid 100 ppm recorded the earliest 50% flowering (26.22 days), maximum plant height (51.68 cm, 82.90 cm, and 120.59 cm at successive growth stages), and the highest number of branches per plant (3.74, 8.07, and 14.99). It also recorded the maximum number of flowers per cluster (6.70), clusters per plant (6.13), minimum days to first fruit set (50.93), and earliest fruit picking (57.17 days). Furthermore, this treatment showed the highest number of fruits per cluster (6.17), fruits per plant (37.84), average fruit weight (71.14 g), fruit length (5.29 cm), fruit width (6.33 cm), fruit yield per plant (2.692 kg), fruit yield per plot (32.302 kg), and fruit yield per hectare (996.980 q ha⁻¹). Regarding quality parameters, it recorded the highest total soluble solids (TSS) (5.163 °Brix) and ascorbic acid content (16.427 mg/100 g). Among all the treatments, T₁ also resulted in the highest net return and benefit-cost (B:C) ratio, outperforming the control treatment.