Nutrient composition and yield of tomato under foliar applications of herbagreen and sidalco liquid fertilizer

A field experiment was conducted at the Plantation Crops Section of the Faculty of Agriculture, KNUST, Kumasi to determine the comparative effects of Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer on nutrient composition of tomato prior to fruiting. The study also consisted of evaluation of pest and disease incidence and severity under the foliar applications Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer in 2014 Major and Minor seasons. The two-season field experiment was laid out in a split-plot arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot factor consisted of two tomato varieties viz Petomech and Roma Savannah. The sub-plot factor comprised application of Herbagreen (HG) solution at 0.1 % concentration and Sidalco liquid fertilizer (NPK 10-10-10) at 9 ml/15 l of water at a weekly interval for four weeks. The application commenced three weeks after transplanting (WAT). A check (NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + urea) and a control (no application) were also included as part of the treatments. Prior to fruiting, leaf samples were taken from five randomly selected plants in each plot for laboratory analysis of nutrient composition. Soil samples were also taken from each plot for routine soil nutrient analyses at the end of the experiment. Field and laboratory count of insects were done on aerial parts of five randomly selected plants in the middle rows of each plot. Disease incidence and severity were recorded on five randomly selected plants from the middle rows of each plot from 4 to 8 WAT. Foliar applications of Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer significantly (P < 0.05) affected N compositions of tomato in the minor season with the former producing the highest value of 3.91 %. Sidalco liquid fertilizer significantly (P < 0.05) produced the highest K content in tomato in the major season whilst Herbagreen produced the highest values in the minor season. Varieties x fertilizer effect on Mg composition of tomato were significant (P < 0.05) only in the minor season. In both seasons of cropping, the fertilizer treatments significantly (P < 0.05) affected microbial biomass N. Foliar application of Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the densities of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in both seasons of study. In the minor season, Herbagreen significantly (P < 0.05) reduced both incidence and severity of late blight. Herbagreen and the check equally produced higher number of fruits (6.2) per plant over Sidalco liquid fertilizer and the control in the major season. Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer significantly (P < 0.05) increased fruit yield over the control but only in the major season. The results of the study showed that Herbagreen and Sidalco liquid fertilizer had similar effects on the agronomic characteristics of tomato. However, Herbagreen treated plants produced fruit yield comparable to conventional NPK and Sidalco liquid fertilizer with lower diseases incidence and severity as well as lower insect pest numbers, making it an option worth considering for tomato production in Ghana. It will be essential to investigate the synergistic effect of combined applications of conventional soil NPK and foliar fertilizers for effective crop nutrient management.

Source: KNUST