Vegetative Growth and Yield of Tomato as Affected by Water Regime and Mulching

Abstract

An experiment was carried out with potted tomato plants to investigate the interactive effect of water regime and mulching on the growth and yield of tomato; conducted during the 2012/2013 dry season at the Federal College of Forestry Jos, Nigeria to evaluate water management options on the performance of tomato. The experiment consisted of three levels of irrigation water application depths (0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 liter/day/plant) and three types of mulch materials (Black polyethylene, white polyethylene and straw were used to cover the soil surface of the pots). The pots were arranged in Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) system. Watering with different volume of water was done throughout the growth period, the result showed that water regime has no significant effect on vine length, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth but at plant yield except at 4WAT, while the effect of mulch on Vine length and stem girth were significant but leaf number, leaf area, stem girt were not significant. The result showed that the water regime (0.3,0.4 and 0.5litre/day/plant gave the following yield 112.3, 140.01 and 154.34g/pot while for the mulch the corresponding impact on the yield were: 141.49,176.59,158.12 and 66g/pot for straw, black & clear polyethylene and control.