Abstract:
The use of organic
amendments and appropriate nutrient
management practices is essential for
sustainable agricultural production. The
present study investigated the effect of
Gliricidia sepium leafy biomass and NPK
(15:15:15) on the growth and yield of tomato
plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.). A
randomised complete block design with five
treatments and four replicates was employed
in this experiment. The treatments included
T1 (Control), T2 (100% G. sepium leafy
biomass), T3 (25% G. sepium leafy biomass
+ 75% NPK fertiliser), T4 (50% G. sepium
leafy biomass + 50% NPK), T5 (100%
NPK), and T6 (75% G. sepium leafy biomass
+ 25% NPK). The application of G. sepium
leafy biomass and NPK had significant
effects on tomato growth and yield (p˂0.05).
The combined application of G. sepium leafy
biomass and NPK (T4) and the sole
application of G. sepium leafy biomass (T2)
resulted in the highest plant height, stem
girth, and fruit yield compared to the other
treatments. Additionally, treatment with 75%
Gliricidia leafy biomass and 25% NPK
fertiliser (T6) resulted in a superior fruit
weight compared to the other treatments.
The application of G. sepium leafy biomass
(T2) alone and NPK alone (T5) showed a
significant improvement in plant growth
parameters and fruit yield compared to the control (T1), although the effects were not as
pronounced when combined with NPK (T4).
The application of NPK fertiliser (T3) also
positively influenced plant growth and yield,
but the effects were lower compared to T2,
T4, and T6. Further studies are warranted to
optimise the application rates of G. sepium
leafy biomass and NPK for different tomato
cultivars and growing conditions.
