Growth stimulation and vegetative development of <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L. treated with organic wastes

Abstract

Soil infertility has been an overriding threat in tomato production, and this has brought to spotlight less expensive ways of increasing soil fertility for crop propagation. This study investigated the influence of organic wastes like poultry manure, eggshells and plantain peels on the establishment and growth of tomato. Garden soil, poultry manure, eggshells and plantain peels were mixed in the ratio of 1000 g : 100g : 25 g : 15g, respectively. Tomato seedlings sown in garden soil and poultry manure (T1) had the highest number of leaves, leaf area, leaf width and leaf length (20.20±2.67 cm, 6.50±1.70 cm, 2.28±0.39 cm and 3.66±0.48 cm, respectively) when compared with the other treatments. The seedlings sown in garden soil and egg shell (T2) had the highest influence on shoot length (11.00 ± 0.70 cm) when compared with the other treatments. Soil amendment with poultry manure in the ratio of 1000 g: 100 g showed the highest influence in all growth parameters of the plant. Thus, poultry manure could be an alternative to inorganic fertilizers which are of high cost or be amended with inorganic fertilizers as a source of nutrient for the seedling establishment and growth of tomato.