Effects of compost application rates and mulch thickness on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum l.) yield, quality and soil physicochemical properties under salt affected soil of Dugda District of Oromia Region

Abstract

In response to rapid population growth and the need for more agricultural products, many countries in the world are engaged in an intensive irrigation development. As these efforts, in many cases, are following injudicious uses of water, environmental challenges such as widespread of soil salinity are emerging in many instances. The Ethiopian rift valley system,where this study was conducted, exhibits this problem. Research addressing these challenges,using locally accessible material such as compost and mulch are rarely available. Thus, this study was conducted at Dugda District, Girisa Kebele with the objective of evaluating effects of compost application rate (0, 2, 4 and 6 ton/ha) and mulch thickness (0cm/ha, 5cm/ha, 10cm/ha,and 15 cm/ha) on yield and yield quality of irrigated tomato. The experiment was conducted in factorial experiment arranged in a Randomized complete block design with three replications.The post-harvest soil result indicated that Mg, Om%, CEC, Ec (ds)/m, Na, and Available (Av .P)ppm were significantly (p<0.01) affected by the interaction effects of compost application rates and mulch thicknesses. However, pH, TN%, OC%, and Ca are significantly (p<0.01) affected bythe main effects of compost application rate. The interaction effects of the treatments, on the other hand, did not affect days to 50% flowering and days to 50% maturity. These variables,however, were significantly (p<0.01) affected by the compost application rates. The growth variables were also not significantly affected by the interaction effects of compost and mulch thickness. Except single fruit weight per plant and fruit shape index, all yield and yield component variables were significantly affected by the interaction effects of mulch thickness and compost application rate. Yield obtained from the treatment combination of 6ton/ha compostrate and 10cm mulch thickness was agronomically and economically remunerative by 15.56%for farmers. Nevertheless, because of the slow releases of nutrient from compost and organic mulch, long term effect of this rate needs further investigation.