Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at Jmma University College of Agriculture and veterinary
medicine (JUCAVM) during 2009/2010 cropping seasons with the objective: to investigate the
response of yield and yield quality of fresh market tomato varieties in different level of intrarow plant spacing. The treatment consisted of factorial combination of three released
(Marglobe, Fetane ,Bishola) and one local varieties and four intra-row spacing
(25cm,30cm,35cm and 40cm with 70 cm inter-row) using Randomized Complete Block Design
in a factorial arrangement(4x4) with three replications. Growth, yield, fruit quality
parameters and disease reaction were recorded and analyzed using SAS version 9.2 computer
packages. As a result, Bishola planted at 30 and 35 cmx70 cm had higher marketable yield,
higher dry matter and fruit shape index, as well as fruit pericarp thickness which can
contribute to better shelf life of the product. This variety is also highly resistance to late blight
disease. Similarly, Fetane performed well at plant spacing 35cmx70cm in producing higher
marketable yield, total soluble solid, fruit dry matter contents and average fruit weight.
Marketable fruit yield was very highly significant and strongly and positively correlated with
fruit yield per plant (r=0.90***), fruit yield per hectare(r=0.99***), fruit diameter
(r=0.83***), fruit length(r=0.86***) and fruit weight (r=0.82***). In general this clearly
indicated that varieties have different behaviors as a response to intra-row plant spacing,
with regard to marketable yield per hectare and fruit quality. From the finding of this study it
could be concluded that appropriate plant spacing with variety selection could be practiced to
increase the yield and quality of fresh market tomato production. Thus, to produce better fruit
yield and quality tomato growers in the study area should be encouraged to use intra-row
spacing 30 cm x 70 cm with the determinate type of Fetane and Bishola varieties, since these
perform far better than the Marglobe and unimproved local tomato varieties. However,
further researches are recommended with optimization of fertilizer and water requirement for
the different varieties under different intra- and inter row plant spacing and different growing
conditions and type of production (home stead, farmer and commercial) to understand their
yield performance .
