SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES EFFECTS OF BLENDED FERTILIZER TYPES ON GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculetum Mill.) VARIETIES AT CHEHA DISTRICT, GURAGHE ZONE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculetum Mill.), which is farmers used for income generation and home conception. In Ethiopia is facing challenges in low productivity for the major reasons including inaccessibility of improved varieties and specific fertilizer recommendations. Therefore, this experiment had initiated to evaluate the roles of blended fertilizers on yield and yield components of tomato varieties in Cheha district of Central Ethiopia during this cropping season. Sixteen treatments (four blended fertilizer types with four tomato varieties) were assigned and triplicated in RCBD design. Data on phonology; vegetative and yield related attributes were recorded and analyzed using SAS software. From the experiment, 50% flowering and plant height were significant (P<0.001) response for melkashola varieties and NPSBZn blended fertilizer. Numbers of clusters per plant and fruits per cluster, fruit diameter, total fruit yield as well as individual fruit size were highly significant(P<0.001) for Gelilema variety and NPS fertilizer. Marketable yield was highly significant for Gelilema variety with NPSB blended fertilizer. 50% fruiting, dry weight, days to maturity and total soluble solid were highly significant (P<0.001) Melkashola and NPS fertilizers. However, unmarketable fruit yield and pH significantly affected by the varieties. The highest (76.6 ton/ha) total fruit yield was obtained when NPSB fertilizers applied to Gelilema variety. Observing the partial budget analysis, the application of NPSB fertilizers with Gelilema variety gave the maximum net return of 1278200ETB with an acceptable marginal rate of return (5219.6 %). Therefore, the combination of NPSB fertilizer with Gelilema variety is economically feasible for growing tomatoes in Cheha areas. However, this study cannot provide a solid recommendation because the research only one season of work was done in one place. .