Effect of spacing and pruning on growth, yield and quality of five high beta-carotene tomato lines
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Date
2007
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
80 cm) and two pruning treatments (pruning and non pruning) on growth, yield and quality
of five high beta-carotene tomato lines was conducted from December 2005 to March 2006
at the Horticulture Experiment station of Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro,
Tanzania. Nutritional quality analysis of tomato fruits was done in the Food science and
growth rate was observed among treatments, the pruning treatment gave the highest growth
rate of 0.84cm/day compared to no pruning (0.82cm/day) but no significant differences on
fruit size (fruit width and fruit length). Cherry tomato lines CLN 2070A and CLN 2071C
exhibited the highest total fruit yield at 16.39 t ha'1 and 15.2 t ha'1, respectively; while line
CLN 2498E (control) gave the lowest total yield of 6.82 t ha'1. This was attributed to the
difference in the growth habits and genetic background between lines. Close spacing (60
x30cm) gave higher yield than wider spacing (60 x80cm) due to higher number of plants
per unit area. Unpruned plants gave significantly (P<0.001) higher yield (17.26 t ha'1) than
pruned plants (8.20 t ha.’1). The wider spacing (60x 80cm) gave higher calcium and
phosphorus content than the closer spacing (60x 30cm); while the opposite was observed
for potassium. On the other hand, unpruned plants gave higher mineral (Ca, P and K)
contents showing that pruning reduces the rate of mineral abosorption in soil probably as a
result of reduced efficiency of photosynthesis. Total soluble solids and pH were not
influenced by spacing but was negatively influenced by pruning treatments. The wide
spacing of (60 x80cm> produced significantly high beta-carotene content of 3.05 mg/100g,
highest beta-carotene content (4mg/100) compared to the control CLN 2498E (1.17g/l00g)
A study to evaluate the effect of four spacing (60 x 30cm. 60 x 40cm, 60 x 60cm, and 60 x
Technology and the Soil Science Department laboratories. Significant differences on
while the close spacing (60 x 30cm) gave 2.99mg/100g. Line CLN 2071C gave the
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in pruning treatments. The two cherry types (CLN 2070A and CLN 2071C) performed
better compared to the other types of tomato based on total yield and beta-carotene content.
It is recommended to adopt close spacing (60 x30cm) with no pruning for lines rich in
beta-carotene, in order to maximize productivity and quality.
Description
Masters Thesis
Keywords
Spacing and pruning, Yield and quality, Beta-carotene, Tomato