EFFECT OF VARIETY, IRRIGATION INTERVAL AND MULCHING OF MOTHER PLANT ON THE SEED QUALITY OF TOMATO (Solanumlycopersicum L.)

Abstract

A study to determine the effect of irrigation interval and mulching of the mother plant on seed viability and vigour was conducted in the Crop Production Laboratory of Federal University of Technology, Minna. Fully ripen fruitsfrom plants of four tomato varieties (Roma VF, Ibadan local, Ife 1 and UC82B) that were subjected to fourirrigation intervals (2, 4, 6 and 8) and mulching (with and without)wereharvested and the seed extracted from them were dried under room temperature at 25 ºC for five days .Seeds from the four varieties were spread in open plastic Petri dishes and were subjected to 30 ºC and about 70% relative humidity in a growth chamber to accelerate ageing for 16 weeks. Seed samples weredrawn and tested for germination and seedling emergence; seedling height and number of leaves per seedling at 0,2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks of storage were also recorded.Irrigating tomato at 8 days interval resulted in poor seed germination.Although seeds extracted from fruits produced under mulching generally resulted in higher germination percentage compared to no mulching, the difference was only significant at 16 weeks after storage (WAS). The interaction effect of irrigation interval, mulching and variety on germination percentage was significant.