Effect of Different Coloured Shade Nets and Different Shade Intensities on Fruit and Quality Parameters of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.,) var. Arka Rakshak

An experiment was carried out to study the growth parameters of coloured tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as influenced by different coloured shade nets with varying shade intensities at the Precision Farming Development Centre, Department of Horticulture, GKVK, UAS, Bengaluru during 2013–14. The experiment was laid out with three replications comprising of fifteen treatments. The spacing followed was 60 cm x 45 cm. The data were statistically analysed by using Split plot design. The results revealed that the higher fruit length observed in treatment T₁₂(C₄P₃: Blackcolour shade net + 75 per cent shade) (5.23 cm), and also highest fruit breath, fruit weight and ten fruit weight as observed in treatment T₁₂(C₄P₃: Blackcolour shade net + 75 per cent shade intensity)5.12, 70.82 and 728.79 cm respectively. With respect to quality parameter like TSS, Firmness. Lycopene and Ascorbic acid have maximum observed in T₁₂(C₃P₃: Redcolour shade net + 75 per cent shadeintensity) like 4.95 ^oB, 4.38 kg/cm², 7.32 and 18.56 (mg/100g) respectively.