Response of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) at Varying Levels of Soil Applied Potassium
Pages 198-201
Zia-ul-Hassan, K.A. Kubar, M.A. Chhajro, M.N. Kandhro, G.M. Jamro, K.H. Talpur and N. Talpur
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2016.12.29
Published: 28 April 2016

Abstract: The pot study was conducted during autumn 2015 at Department of Soil Science, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam Pakistan to assess the effect of soil applied potassium sulphate (K₂SO₄) fertilizer on growth, biomass production and K accumulation of plants of tomato variety Roma. The study was executed in a net-house under natural conditions following completely randomized design. There were six treatments (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg K₂O ha^-1), each repeated thrice. A recommended blanket dose of 150 kg nitrogen and 75 kg phosphorus ha^-1 was also given to the crop. Tomato plants were raised in five kg plastic pots filled with a K-deficient soil (119 mg kg^-1). Results of the study indicated that K nutrition significantly enhanced growth, biomass production and K accumulation of tomato plants. K nutrition augmented different plant height (49%), shoot diameter (103%), fresh biomass (134%), dry biomass (182%), number of leaves (75%) and K concentration (3.1 fold). It is concluded that a dose of 100 kg K₂O ha^-1 was the most optimum for tomato plants at early growth stage. These results need to be verified under field conditions at maturity level of tomatoes.