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Growth and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) As Influenced By

Different Levels of Zinc and Boron as Foliar Application

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American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (12): 2495-2498, 2015
ISSN 1818-6769
© IDOSI Publications, 2015
DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2015.15.12.12820

Growth and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) As Influenced

By Different Levels of Zinc and Boron as Foliar Application
1
Rizwan Ullah, 1Gohar Ayub, 1Mohammad Ilyas, 2Manzoor Ahmad,
1
Muhammad Umar, 1Samia Mukhtar and 1Saqib Farooq

1
Department of Horticulture, the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
2
Department of Agriculture, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Pakistan

Abstract: An experiment was carried out at Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) Tarnab Peshawar, during 2012
to study the “Growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) cv ‘Rio Grand as influenced by
different levels of zinc and boron as foliar application’. Four levels of zinc (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) and four levels
of boron (0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15%) were applied as foliar spray. Data was recorded on, number of flowers cluster
plant 1, number of flowers cluster 1, number of fruits cluster 1, number of branches plant 1 and yield (t ha 1).
Zinc, boron and their interaction significantly increased the growth and yield parameters. Among different
levels of Zn 0.4% showed significant increased in number of flowers cluster plant 1 (27.45), number of flowers
cluster 1(5.66), number of fruits cluster 1(4.57), number of branches plant 1 (7.36) and yield (tha 1) (23.40).
Boron also significantly affected growth and yield components. Among different levels of boron 0.15% showed
significant increased in number of flowers cluster plant 1(27.55), number of fruits cluster 1(4.40) and yield
(tha 1) (23.33). Based on the above results it can be recommended that Zn @ 0.4% and B @ 0.15% should be
combinely applied to tomato for better growth and yield under the agro climatic conditions of Peshawar.

Key words: Tomato Zinc Boron Foliar application Fruit yield

INTRODUCTION temperature may lead to lower fruit set of small and

seedless fruit development. Most favorable temperature
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) belonging to for fruit set is 25-30 °C [4].
Solonicaeca family. It is a well known vegetable grown all All type of soil are suitable for tomato production
over the world. It is second important vegetable after including sandy and heavy clay with soil pH of 5.5 to 7.5
potato. South America is native origin of tomato and best one. However sandy loam soil is considered best for
before Columbus its plants were brought to Europe by early crop. Highest yield can be obtained by growing
Red Indians and started cultivation. The plants of tomato in loam, clay loam and silty loam having enough
maximum size of tomato fruit have been taken from Peru to organic matter [5]. Fertilizer play important role in tomato
Italy, after that were taken to northern Europe and last to yield and quality. Macro essential nutrient (N, P, K) and
America in 1817 [1]. It was introduced in Subcontinent by some micro nutrient such as (B, Cu and Zn) are very
the Europeans. Later on local people also started its important for enzymatic reactions with in plant body such
consumption due to its popularity. It is now used every as the making of RNA and DNA, protein formation,
where in the country in so many forms [2]. Tomato is synthesis of cell wall, occurrence of flowering and fruit
herbaceous plant with alternate leaves. The flowers are formation, important part of growth hormone, while there
present in cluster on the stem between the nodes. Fruit of deficiency affected the growth and quality of plants [6].
tomato is berry type, it has fleshy placenta and small Boron is very essential for growth, yield and quality of
kidney shaped seeds which are covered with short hairs. tomato. It help in the development of cell wall, occurrence
Fruit skin of different cultivars has deposition of cutin of cell division, formation of vascular bundle (phloem) and
varying from cultivars to cultivars [3]. Tomato is a self transport of CH2O (sugar). Foliar application of B resulted
pollinated crop. It is susceptible to high temperature, increase in setting of fruit, yield of fruit in plant like plums,
especially the large fruited fresh varieties. High night almond and grapes [7]. It plays an important role in N, P,

Corresponding Author: Mohammad Ilyas, Department of Horticulture, the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan .
E-mail: [email protected].
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 Am-Euras. J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (12): 2495-2498, 2015

fats, hormones metabolism, salt absorption and first picking. For which with the help of measuring tap
photosynthesis [8]. Plants with deficient of boron have plant height from the soil line to the top was measured
leaves thickened, wilted and curled form, petioles and average was taken to represent the corresponding
thickened, cracked one with watery condition. Fruits, treatments. Final yield was calculated by weighting the
tuber, roots are discolored, cracked or rotted one [6]. fruits picked in each plot and converted the weight to
Zinc is essential for carbohydrates, protein metabolism yield ha 1.
and sexual fertilization, while manganese is involved
in photoproducation of oxygen in chloroplast [9]. Statistical Analysis: The software was used statistics
Although a lot of research work has been done on the 8.1.Getting the significant variation, the mean was further
requirements of tomato for major nutrients, but assessed for differences through least significant
insufficient data is available on micronutrients difference (LSD) test at (0.05) probability level.
requirements. Keeping in view the importance of
micronutrients, the present study was initiated to find out RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
the combined effect of Zn and B as foliar on the growth
and yield of tomato. Number of Flowers Cluster Plant 1: Number of flowers
cluster plant.-1 significantly increased with the foliar
MATERIALS AND METHODS application of Zn, B either alone or in combination.
Number of flowers cluster plant 1 was increased from
The experiment entitled “Growth and yield of tomato 18.66 in control to a maximum 27.45 with application Zn @
(Lycopersicon esculentum L.) as influenced by different 0.4% followed by (24.96) with 0.6% Zn. The highest
levels of zinc and boron as foliar application” was number of flowers cluster plant 1 (27.55) was noted in
conducted during summer 2012, at Agricultural Research plants with 0.15% boron, followed by (24.80) and (21.81)
Institute Tarnab Peshawar. The experiment was laid out in in plants of 0.1% and 0.05% B, respectively. Where as, the
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with two lowest number of flower cluster plant 1(19.08) was
factors i.e. Zn and B levels. There were 3 replications and recorded in control. Number of flowers cluster plant .-1 was
16 treatments. There were forty eight plots and the area of increased upto 32.90 with applying of 0.4% Zn and 0.15%
each was 2.4m2. Plant to plant distance was kept 30 cm B from 15.50 in control treatment (Table 1). Boron has an
and row to row distance 100 cm. Planting was done on important role in water regulatation and. Also helps in
raised beds of about 45 cm high using transplanting of the carbohydrate metabolism [10]. Thus, it is likely that the
available tomato cultivar Rio Grand. The basal dozes of N higher number of flowers per cluster could be due to
@ 150 kg ha 1, P @ 100 kg ha 1 and K 60 kg ha 1 were sufficient levels of carbohydrates available for flower
applied by using urea, Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) and formation and fruit set in tomato [11].
potassium sulphate sources. P, K and half N was mixed
with soil before transplantation, while the remaining N Number of Flowers Cluster 1: Number of flowers
was applied after two weeks of transplantation. During the cluster 1 was significantly affected by applying of Zn and
research all other cultural activities like weeding, hoeing, B 1, while their interaction has no significant
irrigation were carried out at proper time. Before foliar effect.Number of flowers cluster 1 was increased from 4.79
application water was spray on the plant to know the in control to 5.66 with applying of 0.4% Zn followed by
exact amount of water for foliar application. After that 5.26 and 4.97 with 0.6% and 0.2% Zn. Boron application
solution of zinc and boron were prepared for each also significantly affected number of flowers cluster 1.
treatments and replication. The solutions were applied to The maximum number of flower cluster 1 5.59 and 5.36 was
the plant with help of pump. The zinc and boron were recorded in plants sprayed with B @ 0.1% and 0.15%,
applied as a foliar application twice i.e. before flowering whereas the least number of flowers cluster 1(4.63) was
and at fruit setting. Sources used were zinc sulphate and recorded in control plants (Table 1). Haque et al. [10]
borax for zinc and boron respectively. Data regarding reported that boron nutrition regulates water absorption
days to flowering was recorded by counting number of and carbohydrate metabolism. While, Desouky et al. [12]
days of randomly selected plants form transplanting to and Smit and Combrink [11] found that application of
first flowering opening and their average was calculated. boron and zinc enhances fruit set by delaying abscission
Numbers of flower clusters plant 1, flowers cluster 1, of flowers.Thus, it is likely that the higher number of
fruits cluster-1, branches plant 1of selected 5 plants were flowers per cluster could be due to sufficient levels of
counted and then calculated their mean. Plant height was carbohydrates available for flower formation and fruit set
measured from selected 5 plants in each treatment after in tomato [11].

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 Am-Euras. J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (12): 2495-2498, 2015

Table 1: Effect of different levels of foliar application of zinc and boron on growth and yield of tomato
Number of Number of Number of Number of Days to
Treatments flowers cluster plant 1
flowers cluster 1
fruits cluster 1
branches plant 1
Yield (tha 1) flowering
Zinc levels
Zn1 18.66 d 4.79 c 3.37 c 5.82 c 19.12 d 33.64
Zn2 22.17 c 4.97 bc 3.62 b 6.28 bc 19.83 c 33.28
Zn3 27.45 a 5.66 a 4.57 a 7.36 a 23.40 a 32.29
Zn3 24.96 b 5.26 b 3.75 b 6.61 b 22.15 b 33.14
LSD (P 0.05) 0.98 0.33 0.21 0.67 0.29 NS
Boron levels
B1 19.08 d 4.63 c 3.29 d 5.71 c 18.54 d 34.20
B2 21.81 c 5.11 b 3.62 c 6.34 bc 20.51 c 33.08
B3 24.80 b 5.59 a 4.02 b 7.14 a 22.12 b 32.91
B4 27.55 a 5.36 ab 4.40 a 6.88 ab 23.33 a 32.17
LSD (P 0.05) 0.98 0.33 0.21 0.67 0.29 NS
Zinc ×Boron
Zn1×B1 15.50 4.13 2.83 5.12 17.50 36.57
Zn1×B2 17.33 4.93 3.22 5.83 18.45 31.73
Zn1×B3 19.83 5.10 3.53 6.13 19.77 32.43
Zn1×B4 21.97 5.01 3.90 6.20 20.75 33.83
Zn2×B1 17.52 4.55 3.12 5.53 18.01 33.08
Zn2×B2 21.85 4.97 3.55 6.07 19.10 33.63
Zn2×B3 23.58 5.17 3.71 6.80 20.51 33.30
Zn2×B4 25.72 5.20 4.12 6.73 21.69 33.12
Zn3×B1 23.64 5.10 3.77 6.53 20.56 33.50
Zn3×B2 24.55 5.50 4.08 7.00 22.80 33.27
Zn3×B3 28.71 6.31 5.07 8.43 24.50 32.32
Zn3×B4 32.90 5.74 5.38 7.47 25.73 30.07
Zn4×B1 19.65 4.74 3.43 5.63 18.08 33.63
Zn4×B2 23.50 5.04 3.62 6.47 21.69 33.67
Zn4×B3 27.05 5.78 3.78 7.20 23.68 33.60
Zn4×B4 29.62 5.48 4.18 7.13 25.16 31.67
LSD (P 0.05) 1.96 NS 0.42 NS 0.59 NS
Zn1= 0 %, Zn2= 0.2 %, Zn3= 0.4%, Zn4=0.6%
B1=0 %, B2=0.05 %, B3= 0.10%, B4=0.15 %
Different letters within columns indicate statistical significance (P < 0.05).

Number of Fruits Cluster 1: Number of fruits the higher number of flowers per cluster could be due to
cluster 1was significantly affected by Zn, B and their sufficient levels of carbohydrates available for flower
interaction has significant effect on fruit cluster 1. The formation and fruit set in tomato [11].
maximum number of fruits cluster 1 (4.57) was noted in
plants with 0.4% Zn followed by (3.75) with applying of Number of Branches Plant 1: Number of branches per
Zn @ 0.6% where the least number of fruits cluster 1 plant was significantly affected by Zn and B, while there
(3.37) was recorded in control plants. It is obvious that interaction was non-significant. The maximum number of
form Table 1 the maximum fruits cluster 1 (4.40) was branches plant 1 7.36 was recorded in plants received
recorded in plants sprayed with B @ 0.15% followed by 0.4% Zn followed by 6.61 with 0.6% Zn, while the least
(4.02) and (3.62) at 0.1% and 0.05% B, while the minimum number of branches plant 1 5.82 was noted in control.
fruits cluster 1 (3.29) was recorded In control treatment. Regarding B, the highest number of branches plant 17.14,
The combination of 0.4% Zn and 0.15% resulted in (6.88) and 6.34 was recorded in plants sprayed with B @
maximum number of fruits cluster 1 (5.38),while minimum 0.1%, 0.15% and 0.05%, respectively, while the least
number of fruits cluster 1 (2.83) was noted in control number of branches plant 15.71 was recorded in control
plants (Table 1). Boron nutrition regulates water plants (Table 1). Both zinc and boron are required for the
absorption and carbohydrate metabolism [10]. The growth and development of plants [13]. Boron increased
application of boron and zinc enhances fruit set (8) by plant height and number of branches of tomato plant by
delaying abscission of flowers [11]. Thus, it is likely that promoting root growth, which enhances nutrient

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 Am-Euras. J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (12): 2495-2498, 2015

absorption. Plant with maximum height produced more 3. Rudich, J. and J.G. Atherton, 1986. Botany of Tomato
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