Effects of Shading and Organic Fertilizers on Tomato Yield and Quality

Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the effects of 50% shading and three different organic fertilizers [rice husk compost (RHC), broad bean green manure (B) and turnip residues (T)] on yield and quality parameters of tomatoes cv. Sumela F1 grown in the field. The plants grown in shade (50 %) had a higher (p˂0.01) leaf chlorophyll content and leaf photosynthetic rate, fruit yield, firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and vitamin C than those grown unshaded. The highest leaf photosynthetic rate(88.31µmol O<inf>2</inf>m-2s-1), fruit firmness (19.62 N) and fruit vitamin C content (38.44mg 100 g-1) were obtained from turnip residues(T) treatment under shading. The highest values for SSC (5.6%), yield (3.97 kgper plant) and leaf chlorophyll content (46.68 CCI) were obtained fromshaded and broad bean green manure treatment. © 2017, Pakistan Botanical Society. All rights reserved.