Effect of tailor-made fertiliser and medium on the growth rate and yield of solanum lycopersicum

Abstract

This study evaluated the performance of tailor-made fertiliser formulated specifically for tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) using different types of media. The effect of the medium on the growth rate and yield of tomato was investigated. The fertiliser for Solanum Lycopersicum was formulated using a fertigation technique and locally available fertiliser compounds based on the plant requirements. The experimental setup consisted of forty polybags of plants divided equally into two rows labelled R1 and R2, where R1 represents the tailor-made fertiliser while R2 represents the commercial fertiliser (the control). Two sets of media were investigated; a mixture of cocopeat, peat moss, and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) while the second set consisted of a mixture of cocopeat, peat moss, and zeolites. The pH of the medium and the growth rate, yield, and electrical conductivity (EC) of the fertiliser were observed and recorded. Other factors such as pest or disease attacks were observed as well. The findings show that the plants fed with tailor-made fertiliser yielded 64 tomatoes, 13 more tomatoes than the plants fed with commercial fertiliser (51 tomatoes). Meanwhile, the results of the different media show that the plants grown in zeolites gave 83 tomatoes, more than twice the yield of tomatoes grown on RHA (32 tomatoes).