Nitrogen and Phosphorus use Efficiency by Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Dadin Kowa, Gombe State
Matai, E. P.; Sawa, F. B.J.; Said, A. H. & Puma, S. H
Federal College of Horticulture
Dadin Kowa, Gombe State
ABSTRACT
The research was conducted at the Teaching and Research farm of the Federal College of Horticulture Dadin Kowa during 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons the trial was to determine Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) Use Efficiency by Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The experiment consisted of fifteen (15) treatments combinations laid out in a split plot design, replicated three times, with five (5) levels of N as the main plot treatments and three P levels as the sub-plot treatments. All the treatments levels of N and P applied gave higher results on growth and yield parameters such as plant height, number of branches plant-1, number of fruits plant-1, yield of fresh fruits and dry weight of fruits in tons Ha-1, they all increased with increase in N and P levels than the controls (0 Kg Ha-1) in the two cropping seasons. However 120 Kg Ha-1 of N and 26 Kg Ha-1 of P significantly (P< 0.05) enhanced growth and yield of fresh fruits of tomato producing the highest yields of 118.1 and 124.5 tons Ha-1 of fresh fruits of tomato in the two cropping seasons, respectively. There were high significant interacts (P < 0.01) between the N and P on the growth and yield of the tomato in both the two cropping seasons. The N and P levels of 120 Kg Ha-1 of N and 26 Kg Ha-1 recorded the highest uptake efficiency of N and P, respectively, than the control levels. But, there was no statistical difference (P< 0.05) between N levels of 90 Kg Ha-1 and 120 Kg Ha-1. Therefore, the above results indicated that N and P treatments contributed to the growth, yield and nutrient uptake of tomato plants attaining optimum status at 90 Kg N Ha-1 and 26 Kg P Ha-1 on the sandy loam soils of Dadin Kowa. The interaction of N and P gives striking evidence of their complimentary effects on growth and nutrition of tomato plants.
