Abstract:
Limited access to chemical fertilizers has led to
yield challenges in the cultivation of tomatoes in Sri Lanka,
adversely impacting the livelihoods of growers. This experiment
was conducted to assess the efficacy of organic fertilizer solutions
compared to conventional fertilization methods. The tested
fertilizers included chemical fertilizers for nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), organic fertilizer solutions,
organic fertilizer solutions combined with Albert's solution, and
Albert's solution used independently. Two distinct organic
fertilizer solutions were formulated and applied during different
growth stages of the tomato plant, namely the vegetative and
reproductive phases. The first solution consisted of cow dung,
Glyricidia leaves, and dried banana leaves, and it was administered
throughout the vegetative phase. The second solution, designed for
the reproductive stage, comprised cow dung, Glyricidia leaves,
eggshells, and banana peels. Various parameters were measured,
including the number of leaves at 12 Weeks After Planting (WAP)
(10.27±0.45), root length (35.53±3.22 cm), and fresh fruit weights
(41.00 ±2.31 g), which exhibited superior results in comparison to
the other treatments. While the total fruit count per plant
remained below average in all treatments, the organic fertilizer
solutions demonstrated better overall performance, hinting at
their potential as commercially available fertilizers. Nonetheless,
further investigations are essential to evaluate their ability to
enhance tomato fruits' nutritional and flavor attributes.
