Effectiveness of Fructón Fertilizer on Growth, Yield, and Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at West Shewa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of using a combination of Fructón, a bio-stimulant fertilizer, with inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on tomato crop performance. The experiment was conducted from October 2019 to March 2020 under irrigation in the field at two locations in the west Shewa zone: Toke Kutaye and Ilu Gelan districts. There were four treatments in the study: organic Fructón, inorganic nitrogen, and phosphorus fertilizers; a combination of Fructón and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers; and control plots that received no fertilization. Each treatment was replicated three times in a randomized, complete block design. Results revealed that integrated application of organic Fructón (50 g L^-1 ha^-1) with inorganic nitrogen (80 kg N ha^-1) and P (90 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1) fertilizers significantly improved the growth, yield, and quality of tomato fruits. The combination treatment resulted in the highest plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, number of fruits per plant, marketability, and total yield at both Toke-Kutaye and Ilu-Gelan locations. Conversely, the untreated plot exhibits the lowest results. Additionally, supplemental application of organic Fructón with conventional nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers enhanced the total soluble solids, pH, and titratable acidity of the tomatoes. These findings suggest the combination of organic fructón with inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers holds promise for improving tomato growth and yield performances