EFFECT OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATO

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the period from November 2014 to March 2015 in the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka to find out the effect of gibberellic acid on growth, yield and quality of tomato. The experiment comprised of two factors. Factor A: Different tomato varieties (2 varieties)-V1: Ratan and V2: Mintoo hybrid and Factors B: Different levels of gibberellic acid-GA3 (4 levels)- G0: 0 ppm GA3 (control); G1: 20 ppm GA3; G2: 40 ppm GA3 and G3: 60 ppm GA3. The two factors experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. For different variety, at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 days after transplanting (DAT) and at final harvest, the taller plants (15.92, 40.71, 60.72, 75.73, 83.88 and 86.60 cm, respectively) were found from V2, while the shorter plants (14.78, 37.40, 57.13, 71.05, 79.37 and 82.76 cm, respectively) were found from V1. The maximum fruit setting (64.94%), maximum fruit yield/hectare (85.08 ton) and maximum total soluble solid (4.29%) was found from V2 and the minimum fruit setting (63.93%), minimum fruit yield/hectare (70.52 ton) and the minimum total soluble solid (4.20%) was found from V1. In case of different levels of GA3, at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 DAT and final harvest, the tallest plant (16.37, 41.20, 61.69, 77.39, 85.10 and 87.74 cm, respectively) was found from G3, whereas the shortest plant (13.32, 35.87, 54.37, 65.91, 75.79 and 79.67 cm, respectively) ere found from G0. The maximum fruit setting (65.83%), maximum fruit yield/hectare (84.91 ton) and maximum total soluble solid (4.38%) was observed from G3, while the minimum fruit setting (60.97%), minimum fruit yield/hectare (64.87 ton) and minimum total soluble solid (4.05%) was recorded from G0. Due to the interaction effect of different variety and levels of GA3, at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 DAT and final harvest, the tallest plant (18.34, 44.33, 64.91, 82.19, 89.39 and 91.69 cm, respectively) were recorded from V2G3 and the shortest plant (12.66, 33.63, 52.44, 64.82, 75.18 and 78.96 cm, respectively) were found from V1G0. The maximum fruit setting (66.22%), maximum fruit yield/hectare (97.52 ton) and maximum total soluble solid (4.53%) was found from V2G3, whereas the minimum fruit setting (58.57%), minimum fruit yield/hectare (62.65 ton) and minimum total soluble solid (4.05%) was observed from V1G0. Among the combination of different variety and levels of GA3, Mintoo hybrid tomato and 60 ppm GA3 induced superior growth, yield contributing characters, yield and quality of tomato.