In the 2013 cropping season, field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, and the Niger State College of Agriculture, Mokwa, to investigate the effects of mineral fertilisers on tomato growth, fruit yield, and nutrient uptake. In the country, tomato agriculture has progressed from a traditional intercropping system with other staple crops to a much more economically driven strategy. The treatments included three mineral fertiliser types at three rates each, as well as their combinations: N (0, 30, and 60 kg N ha-1), P (0, 25, and 50 kg P2O5ha-1), and K (0, 25, and 50 kg K2O5ha-1) (0, 16.5 and 33 kg K2O ha-1). The treatments were laid out in a three-times repeated Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of flowers per plant, number of fruits per plant, total fruit output, and nutrient intake were all taken into account. Leaf phytochemical contents were determined at random per plot and examined for nutrient uptake, such as N, P, K, Ca, and Mg levels. The data was analysed with the SAS package's analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the treatment means were separated with the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at a 5% probability level. The study's goal was to find mineral fertiliser combinations that would boost nutrient uptake and help tomatoes perform better. Tomato yield and nitrogen uptake enhanced when mineral fertiliser was applied externally. The highest fruit output (27.81 t ha-1) came from the application of 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1, whereas the lowest came from the control plot (9.96 t ha-1). The optimal fertiliser rates for nutrient uptake (P, K) were 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1. To summarise, external mineral fertiliser input is required to increase tomato yield and nutrient absorption content. Plants fertilised with 60 kg N ha-1 + 50 kg P2O5 ha-1 + 33 kg K2O ha-1 responded better than those treated with other rates, and farmers can use this combination to boost productivity in the study locations.
Author(S) Details
M. N. Tswanya
Biotechnology Advanced Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex, P.M.B. 186, Garki-Abuja, Nigeria.
J. O. Olaniyi
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
M. Ahmed
IFAD Value Chain Development Programme, Opposite Abdulsalam Garage, Tunga, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.
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