Effect of Fertigation Levels on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Under Kassala State Conditions, Sudan

Abstract

The experiments were conducted at the farm of the Horticulture Department, Ministry of Production and Economic Resources, Kassala State which is located at latitude 15° 27´ N and longitude 36° 24´ E. The objective of the study was to explore the influence of fertigation levels on growth, yield and yield components of tomato crop under Kassala state condition, Sudan. Seedlings of tomatoes cultivar (Advantage) were raised in open nurseries for 7 to 8 weeks before transplanting. Cultural practices of transplanting, weeding, pest and insect control were carried out as recommended by ARC. Six levels of recommended dose of urea viz; 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150% and 175% of urea recommended dose (URD) for manual methods was applied by fertigation during two consecutive winter seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications in plots (2.8m×3m). The parameters measured included the plant height, plant stem girth, number of leaves per plant, number of days from transplanting to flowering, total yield (t/ha), marketable yield (t/ha), number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, diameter, fruit dry matter and total soluble solids of fruit. The results showed that the growth parameters of tomato increased with increasing levels of urea at both seasons and the highest values were recorded with 175% of urea recommended dose in both seasons. The result on yield and yield components showed that the effect of urea rates was very highly significant on both seasons and the highest yield and yield components were obtained under 175% URD while the lowest yield was obtained at 50% level. Moreover, the highest benefit cost ratio was recorded with 125% URD