Performance of Tomato Varieties Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat in Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse and Its Economic Returns

Abstract

In Bishnupur, Manipur, tomato cultivation can generate a steady income that supports farmers' welfare and livelihood security. Most of the farmers of Bishnupur are under the category of marginal and sub-marginal farmers. Bishnupur's tomato is an important high-value crop with high yield and economic potential. Most farmers in the Bishnupur district of Manipur are growing wide varieties of tomatoes in open fields and a few in low-cost polyhouses. The seeds of two tomato varieties, Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat, are new varieties in Manipur. A comparison of the yield potential of two tomato varieties and their economic returns, the varietal performance testing was conducted in a naturally ventilated Polyhouse of area 135 m2 at an instructional farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bishnupur district, Manipur, during 2017-18. The adopted package of practices was Seed rate – 3.5g , Spacing- 45cm x 45cm, FYM-400 kg, NPK 4:10:2.5 g/plant. The study revealed that tomato var. Arka Rakshak resulted in a yield of 367 kg with C:B ratio (1:7.8), whereas Arka Samrat could obtain 285 kg with C:B ratio (1:6), which shows that both the two varieties are suitable for polyhouse cultivation. However, the tomato variety Arka Rakshak has superior performance in every parameter than Arka Samrat.