Interactive Effects of Silicic Acid and NOVEL on Tomato Performance under Protected Conditions

Aims: The present investigation was carried out in tomato under protected culture to find out the effect of silicic acid (0.0%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) and Novel organic liquid nutrient (NOVEL) [0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%] spray on tomato performance under protected conditions. Study Design: The study was conducted in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted under naturally ventilated polyhouse at Regional Horticultural Research Station, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat), India between December 2017 and June, 2018. Methodology: The experiment comprising of 16 treatments with 4 levels each of silicic acid (0.0%, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) and Novel organic liquid nutrient (NOVEL- a brand product of NAU, Navsari prepared from banana pseudo stem) [0.0 to 1.0 % and 1.5 to 2.0 %] was carried out in tomato cv. Arka Rakshak. The data on plant height (cm) and leaf area (cm2) was taken from 5 randomly tagged plants. Reproductive traits like days to 50% flowering, days to first picking, number of pickings, days to last picking were recorded in plant population accommodated in net plot area (1.5 × 4.5 m2). Fruit set (%) was worked out by counting number of flowers per truss and their successive fruiting in each tagged plant during cropping span of tomato. Number of fruits and fruit weight at each picking were recorded in each tagged plant. The marketable as well as unmarketable fruits harvested from each net plot were weighed separately at each picking to calculate yield per plant and per unit area. The observation on leaf miner was made at weekly interval by counting total number and damaged leaflets from five randomly tagged plants. Results: The analysis of data revealed significance of individual effect majorly of silicic acid on most of the traits under study. The effect of NOVEL was limited to few characters while interaction effect was found to be non significant for all the traits except leaf miner incidence. The results on plant height, days to 50 % flowering, days to first picking, and average fruit weight were found to be non-significant. Silicon as silicic acid (0.3%) recorded higher leaf area at final harvest (593.35 cm2), fruit set percentage (59.86), number of fruits per plant (49.68), days to last picking (186.16 days) and correspondingly higher marketable yield per plant (3.76 kg), total yield per plant (3.99 kg), marketable yield per m2 (10.82 kg) and total yield per m2 (11.48 kg). Different levels of NOVEL were found to influence number of pickings significantly and 1.5% NOVEL showed maximum number of pickings (29.92) during the cropping span of tomato. Leaf miner incidence was governed by individual as well as interaction effect of silicic aid and NOVEL with minimum incidence if 2.79% in plants sprayed with combination of silicic acid and NOVEL (0.1% + 1.0%) Conclusion: Silicon as 0.3% silicic acid was turned out to be the potential treatment to achieve maximum leaf area, fruit set, number of fruits per plant, yield and enhanced cropping span. Silicic acid and NOVEL (0.1% + 1.0%) interactively have ability to strengthen the plant defence mechanism to resist leaf miner infestation.