Abstract:
The experiment was conducted in the farm of Sher-e-l3angla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during
the period from 15 November 2013 to 15 April 2014 to find out the role of exogenous application of
gibberellic acid (GA3) and calcium (Ca2 ) on the improvement of morpho-physiology and fruit yield
of tomato placed to late transplanting-induced cold injury. In this study, variety BAR!Tomato 15 was
used as a planting material and the treatments consisted of three different times of transplanting, T,
First transplanting time (10 December2013), T, = Second transplanting time (20 December2013), I; =
Third transplanting time (30 December2013); and six different combination of gibberellic acid and
calcium viz. Mo = 0 ppm (IA; and 0mM Ct, Mi = 20 ppm GA3 and 0 mM Ct. Mi = 0 ppm GA3
and 5 mM Ca2 , M;= 20 ppm GA3 and 5mM Ca2', M4= 0 ppm GA3 and 10mM Ca2? and Mc = 20
ppm GA; and 10mM Ca2'. The experiment was laid out in two factors Randomized Complete Block
Design (RCBD) with three replications. The total treatment combinations were 18 (3x6). Most of the
results of this experiment showed differences to the treatments. The first transplanting time
significantly influenced to increased morpho-physiological characters: plant height, number of leaves
plant", number of branches plant' and SPAD value of leaf; yield contributing characters: number of
flowers plant', number of fruits plant', fruit length, fruit diameter and yield plot4 and ha` compared
to late or third transplanting time-induced cold stress. The maximum yield (80.46 t ha") was obtained
from Ii whereas the lowest yield was found (58.53 t ha") from T3 transplanting and suggesting that
early transplanting time improves fruit yield through promoting the morpho-physiological features of
tomato. In this study it was found that different combination of GM and Ca2 mitigated the adverse
effects of late transplanting-induced cold stress in tomato. Exogenous foliar application of 20 ppm
gibberellic acid (GA3) along with 5 mM calcium (Ca2') improved the morphological characters of
tomato except number of branch plant". The yield contributing characters and fruit yield showed
statistically significant increased with 20 ppm gibberellic acid (GM) along with 5 mM calcium (Ca2 ).
The highest yield 83.99 t ha" yield were found with the 20 ppm gibberellic acid (GA;) along with 5
mM calcium (Ca2D but the lowest 59.92 t ha" yield were recorded from control. These results
indicated that combined application of GA; along with Ca2' has positive impact on fruit yield. The
interaction between date of transplanting and sole or combined application of GA3 and Ca2
influenced all the morpho-physiological and yield contributing characters and yield of tomato. The
highest yield (93.54 t ha") of tomato was obtained with the first transplanting time along with 20
ppm GA3 with 5 mM Ca2 (TiM3) treatment combination, whereas the lowest yield (49.79 t ha") was
recorded from LM0, third transplanting date and 0 ppm GA3 and 0 mM Ca2 treatment combination.
In addition the treatments combination T3M3 influenced to produce the highest yield 69.09 t ha" out of
all the treatment under late transplanting and suggested that 20 ppm GA3 along with 5 mM Ca'
successfully mitigate the detrimental effect of cold stress in variety BAR!tomato IS.
Description:
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Agriculture.
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCkENCE
IN
AGRICULTURAL BOTANY
SEMESTER: JULY-DECEMBER, 2014