INFLUENCE OF POTASSIUM AND BORON ON QUALITY AND YIELD OF TOMATO

Abstract

The field experiment was therefore conducted to investigate the influence of potassium and boron on the quality and yield of tomato at the Horticulture farm of the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during the rabi season (October 2019 to March 2020). The experiment consisted of two factors, Factor A: four different levels of potassium (K O) viz., 0, 80, 120, 140 kg/ha, Factor B: four different levels of boron (B) viz., 0, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8 kg/ha. The experiment was comprised of 16 treatment combinations and laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The influence of different levels of potassium, boron and their combined effect showed significant variations in quality and yield of tomato. Plant grown with 120 kg /ha K 2 O gave the highest result in number of leaves per plant (40.52), number of flower clusters per plant (8.32), number of flowers per cluster (6.59), number of fruits per cluster (4.54) , number of mature fruits per plant (37.93), weight of fruits per plant (0.95 kg), weight of fruits per plot (5.68 kg), yield per hectare (63.19 ton/ha) as well as quality parameter total soluble solids % (7.84), β -Carotene mg per 100g (0.36) and Vitamin-C mg per 100g (112.6). Among the different levels of boron maximum results were obtained from 1.2 kg B/h in all yield and quality parameters except plant height. In combine treatments the maximum plant height (119.2 cm), number of leaves per plant (42.92), number of flower clusters per plant (8.93), number of flowers per cluster (7.44), number of fruits per cluster (4.79), weight of fruits per plant (1.07 kg) were produced from the treatment combination of 120 kg K/ha with 1.2 kg B/ha. The highest fruit yields per plot (6.42 kg), per hectare (71.33 t) as well as quality were achieved from the treatment combination of 120 kg K

2 2 O/ha with 1.2 kg B/ha. So, optimum use of

potassium with the combination of micro nutrient boron could influence quality and yield of tomato significantly.