Abstract            Volume:9  Issue-3  Year-2021         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops widely grown in Ethiopia. It has many nutritional values and considered as high value cash crop in the country. However, its productivity among small scale growers is far below its potential. This is partly due to lack of access and awareness to improved cultivars and agronomic packages. The objective of the study was to identify an adaptive cultivar of tomatoes and to determine the optimum irrigation interval for its growth and yield. A factorial experiment with two varieties (variety Galilea and variety Roma VF) and three irrigation intervals (4, 6, and 8 days), using randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in 2019 from December to April, at Shashogo Woreda of Southern Ethiopia. A Data were recorded on Phenological, growth and yield characteristics. Varieties differed significantly (P<0.05) in all characteristics, except in number of primary branches and fruit set percentage. Variety Roma VF was earlier by 8 and 13 days in days to first harvest and days to 50% maturity respectively than variety Galilea. Whereas variety Galilea had significantly (P<0.05) higher number of secondary branches per plant, clusters per plant, flowers per cluster, fruits per cluster, fruits per plant, marketable fruit yield and total fruit yield than Roma VF. Similarly, irrigation interval of 6 days resulted in higher values in all these characters than irrigation interval of 4 and 8 days. The highest net benefit of ETB 682,584 was obtained from Variety Galilea under irrigation interval of 6 days. Hence, economically attractive combination is to grow variety Galilea under irrigation interval of 6 days. Growing Roma VF under irrigation interval of 6 days might be considered when earliness is needed to meet special market demands.

Download this article as