Evaluation of Composted Agricultural Crop Wastes Application on Growth, Mineral Content, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Tomato

Abstract

The effects of different agricultural crop waste composts as organic fertilizer on the growth, leaf chlorophyll content and mineral concentrations, fruit characteristics, yield, and fruit quality aspects of tomato were assessed. The composted crop waste types used were mixture of date palm, olive, and maize (1:1:1) supplemented with 5% (C2), 10% (C3), 20% (C4), and 40% (C5) of sheep manure as well as the active NPK mineral fertilizer (C1) as a check treatment. Results of present study revealed that tomato plants grown in sandy soil amended by combination of compost mixture and 40% sheep manure (C5) have highest plant height and leaf chlorophyll content as compared to the plants grown in other combinations. Further highest concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), Ferrous (Fe), Zink (Zn) and manganese (Mn) along with fruit yield, and fruit quality were also reported superior in the plant grown in same combination. The percentage increase in the total yield of plants fertilized with C5 was 65.71-65.83% higher than that of plants fertilized with the compost + NPK (C1). Tomato plants grown in plots amended with compost type C5 had highest shoot dry mass, fruit length, fruit diameter, and fruit juice percentage than plants grown in other treatments. On the other hand, tomato plants under C1 treatment had higher titratable acidity and pH of fruit juice as compared to plants grown