Efficacy of Biofertilizers on Growth, Quality and Yield of Tomato [Solanum lycopersicum (L.) cv. Anagha]

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the growth, yield, and quality response of tomato to biofertilizers applied alone and in combination with chemical fertilizers. Study Design:  Randomized block design Place and Duration of Study: A one-year experiment was conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, under Kerala Agricultural University Methodology: The bacterial wilt- and crack-resistant tomato variety Anagha, developed by Kerala Agricultural University, was used for the study. Three biofertilizers-Azospirillum, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), and Frateuria aurantia-were evaluated in different combinations with farmyard manure (FYM), with or without inorganic fertilizers. Treatments included single biofertilizer inoculation with FYM (T₁: Azospirillum + FYM, T₂: AMF + FYM, T₃: Frateuria + FYM), combinations of two biofertilizers with FYM (T₄: Azospirillum + AMF + FYM, T₅: Azospirillum + Frateuria + FYM, T₆: AMF + Frateuria + FYM), all three biofertilizers with FYM (T₇), and all three biofertilizers with FYM and inorganic fertilizers at half (T₈) and full (T₉) recommended doses. A control (T₁₀) was maintained as per the Kerala Agricultural University Package of Practices. The experiment was laid out with three replications. Results: Integrated application of FYM, full recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers, and biofertilizers (T₉) significantly improved vegetative growth and yield of tomato. Treatment T₉ recorded the highest plant height, number of leaves, number of fruits per plant (28.16), fruit yield per plant (814.70 g) and total fruit yield per hectare (20.81 t ha⁻¹). Superior fruit physical traits, including fruit weight (34.15 g), fruit volume (38.20 cm³), and fruit girth (15.31 cm), were observed in T₇. Conclusion: Biofertilizer application improved growth, yield, and quality of tomato. FYM combined with biofertilizers and full recommended NPK was most effective, while FYM and biofertilizers with 50% NPK indicated the possibility of reducing chemical fertilizer use without yield loss.