Agronomic performance of tomato under organic vs. integrated nutrient management practices

The present study on the performance of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) under organic and integrated nutrient management practices was evaluated at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University from November 2021 to March 2022 in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments in three replications. The treatments included T₁: FYM; T₂: Vermicompost; T₃: Poultry manure; T₄: FYM + Glyricidia leaves (2:1); T₅: Vermicompost + Poultry manure (2:1) and T₆: Integrated Nutrient Management (INM). Tomato plants were significantly taller with higher number of branches per plant, leaf area and root length under INM. Yield and yield parameters, viz., 50 percent flowering, number of fruits per plant (32.3) and average fruit weight (63.49 g) and fruit yield per plant (2215.0 g) were significantly superior under INM and were the lowest in the combination, vermicompost + poultry manure. Fruit quality in terms of sucrose (0.52 mg g^-1), ascorbic acid (2.02 mg 100 g ^-1) and lycopene content (22.64 mg 100 g ^-1) and plant nutrient uptake were also the highest in INM. The treatment also realized the maximum returns and proved profitable in terms of B:C ratio (3.15). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the integration of organic and inorganic sources, FYM + chemical fertilizers is the most profitable nutrient management strategy for tomato cultivation.