Integrated Nutrient Management for Tomato in the Southern Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Central Farm, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Rahmatpur, Barishal during the rabi season of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 to evaluate the efficiency of cowdung and/or poultry manure on growth and yield of tomato. The crop variety was BARI Tomato-14. Cowdung and poultry manure were used with chemical fertilizers. A total of seven treatments were used viz. T1:Control, T2:100% recommended dose (RD) T3:75% RD, T4:100% RD + cowdung @ 5 tha-1, T5:100% RD + poultry manure @ 5 tha-1, T6:75% RD + cowdung @ 5 tha-1, T7:75% RD + poulty manure @ 5 tha-1 which were replicated for four times. Cowdung, poultry manure in combination with chemical fertilizers had significant influence on plant height (cm), no of flower clusters plant-1, no of fruits plant-1, fruit yield plant-1(kg), fruit yield (t ha-1) of tomato. In 2016-17 significantly higher fruit yield (65.20 t ha-1) was recorded with 100% RD plus cowdung 5 t ha-1 followed by yield obtained from 100% RD + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, 75% RD + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1, 75% RD + poulty manure @ 5 t ha-1. On the other hand, during 2017-18 maximum 95.46 t ha-1 tomato yield was recorded with 75% RD plus cowdung 5 tha-1which was found identical with the result gathered from 100% RD + poultry manure @ 5 t ha-1, 100% RD + cowdung @ 5 tha-1, 75% RD + poulty manure @ 5 tha-1. Therefore, only 75% of the recommended fertilizer could be used in integrated use of cowdung and/or poultry manure in tomato cultivation in southwestern region, Barishal (Non–calcareous Grey Floodplain Soils under AEZ 13).