21. Influence of Calcium chloride and Gibberellic acid levels on the growth, yield and quality of tomato in the agro-climatic conditions of Mardan-Pakistan
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Abstract
Tomato is an important vegetable commercialized in Pakistan, and the use of Gibberellic acid (GA3) to cultivate it in the Peshawar valley may promote the production of high quality tomato. Therefore, A field experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Farm of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan during summer 2017, to study the influence of calcium chloride and gibberellic acid levels on the growth yield and quality of tomato. (Cv. Ontario). There were four concentrations of calcium chloride i.e0, 3, 6, and9% and four levels of GA3i.e, 0, 50, 75 and 90ppm ha-1. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) having three replication. Applications of calcium chloride and gibberellic acid levels have significant effect on the growth, yield and quality of tomato. The maximum number of branches plant-1 (8.18), number of flower cluster plant-1(10), number of flower plant-1(45), number of fruit cluster plant-1(6), number of fruit plant-1(27), yield plant-1(2.0kg), yield plot-1 (8 kg) yield ha-1(22tons), weight of individual fruit (80.3 g), vitamin C content (69.63mg 100 g-1), fruit firmness (14 N) and cost benefit ratio (1.8) was observed at 75 ppm of GA3, while the maximum plant height (88.93 cm) was found at90 ppm of GA3. In case of calcium chloride the maximum number of branches plant-1 (7.19), plant height (87.58cm), number of flower cluster plant-1(10), number of flower plant-1(43), number of fruit cluster plant-1(5), number of fruit plant-1(23), yield plant-1(1.6kg), yield plot-1(6.8kg) yield ha-1(18.8tons), weight of individual fruit (74 g), Vitamin C content (70 mg 100 g-1) and cost benefit ratio (2.3) was found at 9 % of CaCl2, while the maximum fruit firmness (14.19 N) and minimum blossom end rot (4.82 %) was noted at6 % of CaCl2. It was concluded that CaCl2 at the rate of 9% and GA3at the rate of 75 ppm has significant effect on enhancing growth and quality attributes of tomato. Therefore it is recommended that CaCl2at the rate of 9% and GA3at the rate of 75 ppm should be used for maximum growth, yield and quality of tomato in the agro-climatic conditions of DistrictMardan.
Keywords: Calcium chloride; Gibberellic acid; Mardan; Quality; Yield