STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF PLANT GEOMETRY AND NUTRIENTS ON FRUIT QUALITY IN PROCESSING CULTIVARS OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.).
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Date
2017-07-15
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COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, VENKATARAMANNAGUDEM WEST GODAVARI – 534 101 Dr. Y. S. R. HORTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
Abstract
An investigation was conducted on tomato during rabi season of 2016-17 with the major objectives of finding the most suitable planting geometry and nutrition level as well as their interaction on yield, quality and nutrient uptake in processing cultivars of tomato under Chittoor conditions of Andhra Pradesh.
The experiment was laid out in factorial randomised block design with two cultivars viz., Alankar and Abhinav, three planting geometry patterns i.e. 120 cm x 40 cm (2.08 plants per m2), 60 cm x 60 cm (2.78 plants per m2) and 75 cm x 40 cm (3.33 plants per m2) and three levels of nutrition levels i.e. 120: 60: 60 NPK kg ha-1, 150: 75: 75 NPK kg ha-1 and 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1, thus making 2 x 3 x 3 = 18 treatment combinations. Of the two cultivars, Abhinav recorded the highest values in terms of yield parameters like mean fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, pulp weight, yield per plant, yield per hectare and days to final harvest. Planting geometry of 60 cm x 60 cm recorded significantly the highest mean fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, pulp weight, yield per plant but was at lowest for the yield per hectare which was highest with closet spacing of 75 cm x 40 cm. Application of 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1 recorded the highest mean fruit weight as well as other yield parameters. Days from anthesis to harvesting were at the earliest in case of the cultivar Alankar, planted at 120 cm x 40 cm spacing with application of 120: 60: 60 NPK kg ha-1. However, the planting geometry of 75 cm x 40 cm coupled with the lower nutrition level at 120: 60: 60 NPK kg ha-1 exhibited lowest number of days to first harvest in cultivar Alankar.
The fruit quality parameters like lycopene, carotene, acidity, sugars, TSS and a* values were of superior level with medium planting geometry 60 cm × 60 cm and application of 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1 recorded the highest quality at 2nd (80 DAT), 5th (100 DAT) and 8th harvest (120 DAT). Lycopene, carotene, TSS, total sugars, reducing sugars, non reducing sugars and a* value (Colour strength) were found to increase from 2nd harvest to 8th harvest i.e., 80 DAT to
120 DAT in Alankar cultivar, whereas, in Abhinav, an initial increase and then decrease in lycopene, carotene and a* value (Colour strength) were found with increase in age of plant. The cultivar Abhinav coupled with planting geometry at 60 cm x 60 cm and the highest nutrition level at 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1 exhibited highest shelf life in terms of TSS and a* values whereas, in terms of acidity, the cultivar Alankar at planting geometry of 120 cm × 60 cm and higher nutrition level of 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1 exhibited highest shelf life in terms of quality parameters at 32 days of storage.
Nutrient uptake studies revealed that the cultivar Abhinav planted at 75 cm x 40 cm and applied with highest nutrition level of 180: 90: 90 NPK kg ha-1 exhibited highest uptake of nutrients at 40 DAT, 80 DAT, 120 DAT and 158 DAT (final harvest) but, non significant difference with cultivars was observed in nitrogen uptake at 158 DAT and in potassium uptake at 120 DAT and 158 DAT.
Description
The major objectives of the study was to find out the better cultivar, planting geometry, nutrition level for optimum yield, quality and nutrient uptake in tomato under agro climatic conditions of Chittoor.
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Citation
Jain irrigation systems ltd, Chitoor