Assessment of Soil Nutrient Content and Growth of Tomato as Affected by Rice Straw Compost Treatment
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The main objective of this study will be to evaluate tomato yield and quality under salt affected soil by using different rates of rice straw compost and mulch thickness. Specifically, the objectives will be:
- To evaluate effects of rice straw compost and mulch on soil physicochemical properties under salt affected soil
- To evaluate effect of mulch and rice straw compost on tomato yield and quality under salt affected soil
- To identify optimum rice straw compost application rate and mulch thickness for tomato production in thestudy area
- To identify the best economically suitable rice straw compost rate and mulch thickness for tomato production.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Among the factors that contribute to low tomato yield is low soil fertility and unfavourable soil physical properties. Over several decades, nutrient depletion as a result of unsustainable farming practices such as slash and burn, continuous cropping among others have transformed originally fertile lands into infertile ones. Conventional soil fertility maintenance strategies such as fallowing, intercropping cereals with legume crops, mixed farming and opening new lands have been adopted by farmers in times past. These traditional strategies have been unsustainable in the production of crops due to the limited areas of land from population explosion and its associated pressures. Tomatoes are quality nutrient demanding crops which are to be supplied by the soil as the basic habitat and supplier of the nutrients.
The Tomato Plant
Tomato is botanically a fruit but classified as vegetable in trade. Naika et al. (2005) placed tomato under the Solanaceae family. This family also includes other well- known species, such as potato, tobacco, peppers and eggplant (aubergine). Tomato has its origin in the South American Andes. Cultivated tomato was brought to Europe by the Spanish in the sixteenth century and later introduced from Europe to southern and eastern Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Tomatoes are rich in minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, sugars and dietary fibres. Tomato contains much vitamin B and C, iron and phosphorus. Tomato is an annual plant, which can reach a height of over two metres. The shape of the fruit differs per cultivar. The colour ranges from yellow to red.
Soil requirements for Tomato
Tomatoes can be grown on many different soil types, but a deep, loamy, well-drained soil supplied with organic matter and nutrients is most suitable. As with most vegetables, tomatoes grow best in a slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8 (Riofrio, 2000). Tomatoes prefer well drained soil because they are sensitive to waterlogging (Hanson et al., 2000).
Nutrient requirements for Tomato
Plant nutrition is concerned with the processes affecting the acquisition of nutrient elements by plants, the health of the plant with respect to its supply or content of essential elements, and the functions of those elements in the life of the plant (Morgan, 2006).
Four major elements: Nitrogen (N), Calcium (Ca), Potassium (K), and Phosphorus (P) are particularly critical in the production of tomatoes in soil-field systems. Some micronutrients have been specifically studied to be critical for tomato. These are Boron (B), Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn). Micronutrient deficiencies are not common except on very sandy soils, on high pH soils, or in instances when imbalances occur due to major element excesses, such as Phosphorus. The micronutrients, when not in their proper concentration range in the growing media or plant, can result in a deficiency or toxicity. Additions of a micronutrient to the soil should be made based on a soil test and/or plant analysis-based recommendation (Jones, 2013). Monitoring the micronutrient concentration in a nutrient solution is important in order to avoid their excess accumulation or deficiency. Sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and molybdenum (Mo) are the other essential mineral elements. Their insufficiency in soils, soilless media, or hydroponic nutrient solutions is not likely to occur under normal growing and cultural conditions. There is a body of literature that suggests that there are elements Silicon (Si), Sodium (Na), Vanadium (V), Nickel (Ni)] that can be beneficial to the plant, and therefore should be readily available to the plant or added, particularly to a nutrient solution. For soil growing, these elements are naturally present in sufficient concentration, but in hydroponic nutrient solutions, they may or should be included in the formulations (Jones, 2013).
Phosphorus
Large amounts of phosphorus (P) are required for seed formation within the fruit. A fruiting tomato plant absorbs proportionately more phosphorus than a non-fruiting or vegetative plant.
Potassium
The requirement for potassium is about the same as for nitrogen in the early crop stages (from seedling through until fruit development). After this, the requirement for potassium keeps increasing with fruit load while nitrogen levels off. While nitrogen is important and is used in large quantities for vegetative growth, potassium is the predominant cation in tomato fruit and has major effects on fruit quality. The majority of the potassium is absorbed by the plant during the active fruiting stage and ends in the fruit. This is why ratios of potassium need to be maintained at higher levels during the fruiting stages than during the vegetative and flowering stages. Thus, as crop load on the plant increases, so does the requirement and absorption of potassium which will become part of the fruit tissue. If potassium becomes deficient during the fruiting phase of a tomato crop, both yield and fruit quality will suffer greatly.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
The study will be carried out in Zaria, the capital of Kaduna state which is located at the western part of the kaduna. It lies within longitudes 3o and 3o 30‟ West and latitudes 7o and 7o 30‟ North
Drainage
The drainage pattern of the Zaria is basically dendritic and flows in the north-south direction. The area is well drained as evidenced by the dense network of rivers spread out over the area.
Methodology
Treatment and Experimental Design
The field that will used for the experiment had been used in the cultivation of pepper two years prior to the conduct of this experiment. The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Pecmotech seedlings will be raised in a nursery, watered twice daily and transplanted 25 days after germination into farm beds filled with sandy loam soil.
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