QUANTIFYING THE IMPACTS OF LIQUID BIO-SLURRY DOSES IN PROMOTING GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY TRAITS OF SELECTED HYBRID TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) VARIETIES

Abstract

In response to rapid population growth and the need for more agricultural products, many countries in the world are engaged in an intensive agricultural development (depending on synthetic fertilizer). As these efforts in many cases are following injudicious uses of synthetic agricultural inputs, environmental challenges such as widespread of low soil fertility are emerging in many instances. The Southern Ethiopia, where this study was conducted, exhibits this problem. Research is addressing these challenges, using locally available and accessible materials such as bio-slurry which is seldom practiced by our farmers. Thus, this study was conducted at Arba Minch Zuria Woreda, Amibara Private Limited Company farm with the objective of quantifying the response of selected hybrid tomato varieties to liquid bio-slurry at various doses in promoting growth, yield and quality of tomato during 2018/2019 cropping season. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications in 3x4 factorial arrangement of three hybrid tomato varieties (Riograndee, Venise, and Barnum) and four doses of bio-slurry fertilizer (0, 10000, 20000 and 30000 L ha-1 ). The analysis of variance revealed that the two main factors, variety and bio-slurry dose, had significant effect on all parameters considered in this study. The interaction of variety and bio-slurry fertilizer had significant effect on growth parameters (plant height, number of leaves and primary branches plant-1 ), yield components (number of fruits plant-1 and average fruit yield plant-1 ), yield (marketable and total fruit yield) and fruit shelf life. However, the interaction of two factors had non-significant effect in phenological parameters, unmarketable fruit yield and fruit quality parameters such as total soluble solid, ascorbic acid and lycopene contents of fruits. Venise variety was earliest in all phenology parameters, and its fruits had high Vitamin C, TSS and lycopene contents. The application of 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer significantly delayed phenology parameters, and hybrid tomato plants received this rate of bio-slurry fertilizer produced fruits with highest TSS and lycopene contents. Moreover, Venise at the application of 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer gave the highest marketable and total fruit yields of 81.30 and 81.35 t ha-1 respectively. The highest net benefit of 711620.00 ETB ha-1 obtained from Venise with the application of 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer followed by 599140.00 ETB ha-1 obtained from Barnum with the application of 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer. Growing of Venise with 30000 and 20000 L ha-1 , and Barnum with 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer application had higher benefit cost ratio of 35.44, 30.90, and 30.14, respectively. This showed that the adoption of different hybrid tomato varieties with different doses of bio-slurry fertilizer differ in producing of marketable fruit yield, net benefit and benefit cost ratio. However, the grower had a chance to obtain high yield with high net benefit and benefit cost ratio by growing Venise hybrid tomato with the application of 30000 L ha-1 bio-slurry fertilizer.