Influence of fertilizers and seaweed extract on growth, yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under Chhattisgarh plain conditions

Introduction

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated vegetable crops in the world. It belongs to the family Solanaceae and is a diploid species having chromosome number 2n = 24 (Peralta et al., 2006) [10] . Tomato is cultivated extensively under tropical, subtropical and temperate climatic conditions for both fresh consumption and processing purposes. Due to its high nutritional value, wide adaptability and economic importance, tomato is considered a high-value vegetable crop worldwide (Ali et al., 2019) [1] . It also serves as an important source of income and livelihood for rural and peri-urban farmers in many developing countries. Among vegetable crops, tomato ranks second after potato in terms of global importance and consumption (Csizinszky et al., 2005) [7] . The use of seaweed extracts in vegetable crops has shown significant improvement in seed germination, vegetative growth, flowering and fruit yield due to the presence of natural plant growth regulators and micronutrients (Crouch and Van Staden, 1993) [6] .application of seaweed-based biostimulants also enhances chlorophyll content, photosynthetic activity and stress tolerance in horticultural crops, thereby improving overall crop performance (Calvo et al., 2014) [4] . Seaweed-based biostimulants improve plant growth, yield and quality by enhancing physiological and biochemical processes in plants. They also increase tolerance against abiotic and biotic stresses and improve nutrient uptake efficiency (Shukla et al., 2019 and Arioli et al., 2015) [2,12] . The application of seaweed extracts along with organic nutrient sources such as farmyard manure and vermicompost helps in improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, thereby promoting sustainable crop growth (Aydin et al., 2012) [3] . Commercial seaweed products are available in liquid, granular and powder forms and can be applied through foliar spray, soil drench or soil incorporation methods.

Materials and Methods

The Eastern Plateau, Hills, and Chhattisgarh Plains agroclimatic area, as well as a sub-humid climate zone, encompass the experimental site at Durg. About 90% of the region's 1486 mm of yearly rainfall falls between June and mid-September. May is the hottest month, and January is the coldest. In order to analyze crop performance, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, evaporation, and rainfall were measured during the experiment period. The study was conducted to determine the effect of vegetative growth, yield, and economic parameter of tomato.

Result and Discussion

Plant Height Among all the treatments 90 DAT, T 4 was recorded the maximum plant height showed in (103.82 cm), followed by T 2 (100.85 cm), whereas T 0 recorded the minimum (74.25 cm). Thus, T 4 resulted in about 31.3, 35.7 and 39.8% higher plant height than the control at 90 DAT. Similar findings were also reported by Khan et al. (2009) [8] who stated that seaweed extracts improve plant growth through their hormone-like activity and enhanced nutrient uptake.

Number of branches

90 DAT, the maximum number of branches was recorded in T 4 (9.28), followed by T 2 (8.88) and T 8 (8.56), whereas T 0 recorded the minimum number of branches (6.14). The current results are consistent with those of Elansary et al. (2016) [14] , who found that applying seaweed extract topically greatly enhanced the number of branches and vegetative growth in horticultural crops.

Days to First Flowering and Days to 50% flowering

Days to first and 50% blooming were greatly impacted by the treatments. The earliest first flowering (30.18 days) and 50% flowering (37.12 days) were reported by T₄ followed by T₂ and T 8 . The control T₀ showed 50% blooming (45.38 days) and the latest first flowering (38.42 days). Improved nutrient uptake and increased physiological activity may be responsible for earlier flowering when seaweed is applied.

No. of Flower Per Cluster

The treatments also affected the quantity of blooms in each cluster. T 4 had the most flowers (6.98), followed by T 2 (6.82) and T 8 (6.64). T 0 had the lowest number (5.02). Therefore, compared to the control, T 4 produced almost 39.0% more flowers per cluster. greater vegetative development and greater nutrient usage could be the cause of the increased bloom yield. the current results are consistent with those of Hernández-Herrera et al. (2014) [15] , who found that seaweed extracts improved tomato flowering and reproductive growth.

No. of Fruit Set Per Cluster

Treatments differed considerably in the quantity of fruit sets per cluster. T 4 had the highest fruit set (5.30), followed by T₂ (5.12) and T 8 (4.71), and T₀ (2.12) had the lowest. Compared to the control, T₄ fruit set was around 150.0% greater. Better plant growth, enhanced flowering, and effective nutrient utilization may be responsible for the increased fruit set. These results concur with those of Shukla et al. 2019) [12] , Calvo et al. (2014) [4] .

Number of Flower Clusters/Plant

Each treatment had a different amount of bloom clusters per plant. T 4 had the highest value (9.32), followed by T 2 (9.21) and T 8 (8.73). T 0 (6.11) had the lowest value. Perhaps as a result of improved vegetative growth and food availability, T 4 recorded 52.5% more flower clusters than the control. Calvo et al. (2014) [4] , and Shukla et al. (2019) [12] all showed similar results. [8] reported similar results.

Each treatment had a different average fruit weight. T 4 had the highest fruit weight (81.20 g), followed by T 2 (78.60 g) and T 8 (76.40 g). T 0 had the lowest fruit weight (45.80 g). T 4 fruit weight was 77.3% greater than the control's, perhaps as a result of improved fruit development and nutritional availability. Hernández-Herrera et al. (2014) [15] reported similar results.

Fruit diameter (Polar and Radial)

Fruit diameter differed significantly between treatments. T 4 had the largest radial diameter (7.05 cm) and polar diameter (7.70 cm), followed by T 2 (7.52 and 6.90 cm) and T 8 (7.40 and 6.78 cm), respectively. T 0 (100% RDF + water spray) had the lowest radial diameter (5.00 cm) and polar diameter (5.80 cm). Better fruit development and assimilate accumulation were indicated by T 4 32.8% higher polar and 41.0% higher radial diameters compared to the control. All things considered, T 4 was the best treatment for growing bigger fruits.

Fruit Yield per Plant fruit yield per plant varied among treatments. The maximum yield was recorded in T 4 (1.83 kg/plant), followed by T 2 (1.79 kg/plant) and T 8 (1.76 kg/plant), while the minimum was observed in T 0 (0.72 kg/plant). T 4 recorded 154.2% higher yield than the control, possibly due to increased fruit number, fruit weight and better plant growth. Similar findings were reported by Zodape et al. (2011) [13] , who observed increased tomato yield with seaweed sap application due to improved fruit number and size.

Fruit Yield per Plot

A similar pattern was seen in fruit yield per plot. The highest yield was recorded in (27.10 kg/plot), followed by T 2 (26.51 kg/plot) and T 8 (26.07 kg/plot), while the lowest was observed in T 0 (10.66 kg/plot). T 4 reported by Alam et al. (2023) [16] with seaweed extract application in tomato.

Fruit Yield (q/ha) There were significant differences in fruit output per hectare across treatments. T 4 had the highest yield (677.78 q/ha), followed by T 2 (662.96 q/ha) and T 8 (651.85 q/ha). T 0 had the lowest yield (266.67 q/ha). T 4 yield was 154.2% greater than the control's, mostly as a result of improved fruit growth, weight, and quantity. Garcia-Sanchez et al. (2025) [17] obtained similar results.

Fruit acidity shown in ranged from 0.24% T 4 to 0.55% T 0 . T 4 had the lowest acidity, followed by T 2 (0.28%) and T 8 (0.31%). The reduced acidity with seaweed treatments can be a sign of better fruit quality and maturity. Alam et al. observed similar findings (2023) [16] .

Number of Locules per Fruit

The number of locules per fruit was highest in T 4 (6.63), followed by T 2 (6.45) and T 8 (6.28), while the minimum was recorded in T 0 (4.23). The higher number of locules under T 4 indicates better fruit development, possibly due to improved nutrient uptake and the biostimulatory effects of seaweed extract. Similar findings were reported by García-Sánchez et al. (2025) [17] .

Pericarp thickness varied considerably among treatments.

The maximum value was recorded in T 4 (79.20), followed by T 2 (76.80) and T 8 (74.30), while the minimum was observed in T 0 (46.87). The higher pericarp thickness under T 4 indicates improved fruit development and structural quality. Similar findings were reported by Alam et al.

(2023) [16] , who observed improved fruit quality with seaweed extract application.

Total Soluble Solids (°Brix)

TSS varied by treatment T 4 . had the highest value (5.72°Brix), followed by T 2 (5.45°Brix) and T 8 (5.32°Brix), and T 0 (3.82°Brix). T 4 recorded 49.7% higher TSS than the control, indicating improved fruit quality and soluble sugar accumulation.

Conclusion

Tomato growth, flowering, yield, and quality were greatly enhanced by foliar application of seaweed extracts with fertilizer. The most successful treatment was T 4 (100% RDF + 4% S-SAP), which was followed by T 2 (100% RDF + 4% K-SAP) and T 8 (75% RDF + 4% S-SAP). The lowest performance was recorded by the control (T 0 ). T 4 was therefore shown to be the most effective treatment for raising tomato yield and fruit quality.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentThe authors gratefully thankful to the support and facilities provided by Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture and Research Station Sankara, Patan, Durg, Mahatma Gandhi Udyanikee Evam Vanikee Vishwavidyalaya , Durg-491111 (C.G.).

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