Foliar Micronutrient Application and Its Impact on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under Controlled Conditions

Abstract

The research was carried out at the Horticultural Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, during the Rabi seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25. The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and involved 15 treatment combinations of foliar micronutrient applications on tomato variety NS4266. The treatments comprised of Boric acid, Zinc sulphate, Copper sulphate, Ferrous sulphate, Calcium nitrate applied @ 100 ppm respectively, Ammonium molybdate @ 50 ppm, 100 ppm mixture of all micronutrients, and 100 ppm mixture excluding Boron, Zinc Molybdenum, Copper, Iron, Calcium respectively, commercial formulation Multiplex at 4 ml/l and untreated check. The investigation assessed the effect of these treatments on tomato quality traits. Among the treatments, T14 (Multiplex) consistently outperformed others, achieving the highest fruit quality metrics, including total soluble solids (6.93 °Brix) increase of 54.11% over control, ascorbic acid content (16.34 mg) increase of 59.72% over control, lycopene content (4.41 mg) increase of 18.54% over control, and a shelf life of 20.50 days 45.51% better over check. T7, comprising a mixture of all micronutrients at 100 ppm, also demonstrated competitive results across most parameters. Therefore applying either commercial Multiplex at 4 ml/l or mixture of all micronutrients @ 100 ppm is beneficial for enhancement in quality traits in tomato.