Abstract:
Abstract
Hydroponic culture is one of the important climate smart approaches for
vegetable production in Bangladesh. But it needs upscaling and dating for
commercial use. Therefore, a series of experiments are conducting from October
2020 to 2023 to update hydroponic culture of tomato funded by 4th Phase
Bangladesh Academy of Science-United States Department of Agriculture (BASUSDA)
Endowment Program. One of six experimental results has been discussed
here like effect of nutrient solution strength on tomato hydroponic culture.
Nutrient solution and its nutritional compositions may have the effect on growth
and fruit quality attributes of tomato. To avoid the build-up of toxins, mineral
deficiencies, nutrition abnormalities, or the spread of disease, producers should
use optimum level of nutrient solution. Therefore, the present experiment was
conducted to identify a suitable strength of nutrient solution for cherry tomato in
hydroponic system. Treatment considered six levels of nutrient solution [viz., SI:
~ strength Rahman and Inden (2012), S2: % strength Rahman and Inden (2012),
S3: Full strength Rahman and Inden (2012), S4: ~ strength Hoagland and Amon
No. 2( 1940), s; % strength Hoagland and Arnon No. 2 (1940) and S6: Full
strength Hoagland and Arnon No.2 (1940)] and two varieties [viz., VI: Local
market cherry tomato (red), V2: Irelands cherry tomato (yellow)]. Growth and
yield contributing characters, quality parameters, physiological traits and
biochemical composition were analyzed. The maximum plant height, number of
leaves per plant, first flowering, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruit per
cluster, number of cluster per plant, average individual fruit weight and average
cluster weight per plant were found in S3. Meanwhile, V2 performed better in
respect of plant height, number of leaves per plant, first flowering, number of
flowers per cluster, number of fruit per cluster, number of cluster per plant,
average individual fruit weight and average cluster weight per plant. Therefore,
cherry tomato cv. V2 can be cultured in hydroponic system with applying S3 (Full
strength Rahman and Inden nutrient solution).
Keywords: soilless culture, nutrient solution, growth, fruit quality and tomato
