Abstract:
Tomato cultivation in Sri Lanka faces
challenges due to salinity stress, and it affects productivity and
quality. This study investigates the impact of salinity stress on
tomato growth, yield, and fruit attributes. Three treatments
were investigated which are T1: Control- level (0.6 g/l NaCl), T2:
Additional - level (3.0 g/l NaCl), and T3: Excess - level (6.5 g/l
NaCl). and plant growth, fruit parameters, and yield were
analyzed. Plant height and leaf growth were decreased with time
by excessive salinity stress, while fruit quality (pH) was
increased. Yield per plant was affected, with excess salinity
leading to lower yield (264.8 ± 13.6 g) while resulting in the
lowest fruit weight (23.2 ± 0.27 g). These findings provide insight
into how salinity stress affects tomato cultivation, which is
important for sustainable agricultural practices. Notably, excess
salinity improved fruit quality, despite adverse effects on growth
and yield.
