Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Tomato under Protected Cultivation

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a self-pollinated Solanaceae crop originating from the Peru–Ecuador region, is a globally important and widely cultivated vegetable valued for its high productivity, profitability, and nutritional significance. The present study evaluated the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield attributes and yield of tomato. The investigation was laid out in a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) to conduct the experiment. The experiment comprised different treatments involving combinations of recommended doses of fertilisers, farmyard manure (FYM), and vermicompost (VC). The results clearly indicated that integrated nutrient management significantly influenced plant growth and yield parameters. Among the evaluated treatments, T8 (NPK 50% + FYM 25% + VC 25%) was the most effective, recording the highest plant height (25.03, 52.29 and 71.56 cm at 40, 80 DAT and harvest), plant spread (52.29, 89.16 and 140.23 cm), number of primary branches, number of leaves, and main shoot diameter. This treatment also resulted in the highest fruit yield per plot (21.64 kg) and total fruit yield (400.34 q), followed by T5 (NPK 75% + VC 25%) and T1 (100% NPK). In contrast, the control treatment (T9) without application of fertilisers and manures recorded the lowest values for all growth and yield parameters. The improved performance observed under integrated nutrient management can be ascribed to enhanced nutrient availability and more favourable soil conditions arising from the combined application of organic and inorganic nutrient sources, which in turn facilitates superior crop growth and yield.