MITIGATION OF SALT STRESS IN TOMATO BY FOLIARAPPLICATION OF MAGNESIUM NITRATE

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during the period from October 2017 to April 2018 to study the effect of salinity levels and magnesium on morphological, yield and yield contributing characters of tomato. In this experiment, the treatments consisted of five salinity levels viz., S 0 = 0 dSm -1 , S 1 = 2 dSm -1 , S 2 = 4 dSm -1 , S 3 =6 dSm , and three levels of magnesium viz., M 0 = 0 mM Mg 2+ , M 1 = 5mM Mg = 10 mM Mg 2+ . The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The highest plant height, number of primary branches plant , number of leaves plant -1 and stem diameter was found from S 1 M and the lowest value was recorded from S 4 M 0 2 . At 75 DAT, the highest chlorophyll content was recorded from S 0 (80.23 SPAD units) and M (73.94 SPAD units). At 75 DAT, the highest number of clusters plant -1 2 was found from S 0 M (20.00) where the lowest value was recorded from S 4 M 0 (11.00). The highest days to 1 (22.44) while the lowest number was obtained from S 2 st -1 , S 2+ 4 =8 dSm and M flowering was obtained from S (20.00). At 95 DAT, the highest number of fruit plant -1 was found from S 0 M 2 0 (54.00) and the lowest number of fruit plant -1 was recorded from S 4 M (30.67). The highest individual fruit weight was obtained from S (55.33 g) & M 0 0 (67.44 g) & M 2 0 (61.53 g) and the lowest value was found from S (59.31 g). The highest fruit length and breadth was found from S

(6.78 cm and 5.45 cm respectively) and lowest was recorded from S (5.75 cm and 4.59 cm respectively). Fruits yield plant -1 4 varied significantly due to different levels of salinity and magnesium. The maximum fruit yield plant (3.73 kg) and the lowest value was recorded from both S 4 -1 M (1.62 kg).

M 0 was recorded from S 0 2 0 0 -1 -1 M M 4 4 2 2