GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF TOMATO CULTIVARS UNDER SALINITY STRESS

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University to evaluate the performance of different tomato cultivars e.g. BARI Tomato 2 (V 1 ), BARI Tomato 11 (V 2 ), BARI Tomato 14 (V ) and BARI Tomato 15 (V 4 ) under different level of salinity e.g. 0 (S x 1 ), 5 (S 2 ), 10 (S 3 3 ) and 15 (S . The experiment revealed that growth, development, yield and yield attributes of tomato varied with the variation of cultivars and salt stress. V produced highest individual fruit weight (92.33g) as well as fruit yield plant -1 3 (2337.7g). Exposure of different levels of salinity decreased plant height, number of leaf plant -1 and other growth and biochemical attributes including chlorophyll content and salt stress also decreased number of flower cluster, total flower plant -1 , but increased flower dropping. As a result exposure of S salinity level produced lowest fruit length (4.43cm), fruit diameter (4.59cm), and individual fruit weight (58.67g), number of fruit plant 4

(41.17). Interaction of cultivars and salinity also affected growth, biochemical parameter, yield and yield attributes. Combination of salt stress with any cultivar reduced growth and yield, compared with those cultivars (under control condition). The highest yield (3008.7g plant -1 ) was recorded in V 3 4 ) ds m under control condition (V ) as its individual fruit weight (94g) was maximum. However, the lowest yield (755.70g plant -1 ) was recorded in V 2 under 15 ds m -1 salt stress condition (V ) as it fruit length (2.6cm), fruit diameter (2cm) and individual fruit weight (7.67g) was lowest. Considering the results, we can concluded that exposure of salt stress in tomato cultivars decreased growth and yield with increasing the level of salinity.