Authors:
ABOBI Akré Hebert Damien, SALLA Moreto, N’GANZOUA Kouamé René, KONATE Zoumana, GUEI Arnauth Martinez, ZRO Bi Gohi Ferdinand |
Abstract:
The production of tomato, a very important vegetable for human consumption and the most
widely grown in Africa, remains low to meet the needs of the Ivorian population. Also, mineral
fertilisation with its certain contributions to the crop, remains costly and inaccessible to small
farmers. The present study aims to assess the effects of organic fertilisation based on
vermicompost on the growth and yield of the tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. In a Fisher block
design. Three vermicompost treatments T20 (20 t/ha), T40 (40 t/ha), T60 (60 t/ha) and a control
T0 were set up with four replicates in Daloa, west-central of Côte d'Ivoire. The germination rate
of the tomato seeds was determined during the three weeks of nursery. The height, crown
diameter and vigour index of the tomato plants were measured regularly, as well as the yield at
the end of the trial. The main results show that the germination rate was higher with the lowest
dose of vermicompost (20 t/ha) while the height, crown diameter and vigour index of the tomato
plants increased more rapidly with increasing doses of vermicompost. Thus, the highest height
(146.76 cm), the largest crown diameter (38.13 mm) and the highest vigour index (4.22) were
obtained with the highest dose. Similarly, yield was favourably affected with increasing doses of
vermicompost. The highest being obtained with T60. Increasing doses of vermicompost
favourably influence tomato growth and yield. Organic fertilisation with vermicompost could be
recommended to farmers in order to sustainably increase agricultural production. |
