EFFECT OF DIFFERENT POULTRY MANURE TYPES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF TOMATOES (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill)

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is one of the most popular and versatile vegetables in the world, and organic production with high yields of desirable quality are a target of many producers. However, the yield of tomatoes in Uganda is low compared to other parts of the world. The reason is that most soils in Uganda are low in fertility. There is widespread soil degradation, due to massive soil erosion resulting into loss of organic matter, high soil acidity and nutrient imbalances hence low crop yields. This study aimed at establishing the effect of different poultry manure on the performance of tomatoes (Rio- Grande tomato variety). The field trials were conducted during the years of 2020 and 2021 at Bishop Stuart University (BSU) farm Mbarara city, South Western Uganda. Four treatments which included Broiler, Layer, combination of Broiler and Layer chicken manure and the control were applied. The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Measurements were made on number of leaves, number of flowers, plant height, fruit weight, fruit size, number of tomato fruits and yield per hectare. Broiler and layer manure blend increased the number of leaves, plant height, number of flowers, number of fruits, fruit weight and fruit size significantly. The results indicate that poultry manure is very rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micro nutrients making it a valuable source of plant nutrients. It is a useful remedy for soils that are depleted of nutrients. Among the treatments, broiler and layer chicken manure gave the highest fruit yield of 13.8 and 13.4 tons per hectare (t/ha) respectively. A combination of the manure produced 12.8 t/ha and the control treatment gave the lowest yield of 8.1 tons per hectare (t/ha). There was no significant difference between broiler and layer chicken manure. Both manure were equally good and enhanced yield. Therefore, farmers may opt for either of the two depending on the availability. It is concluded that use of broiler or layer chicken manure will largely depend on availability and the cost of the manure. It is therefore recommended that either broiler or layer chicken manure can be used for production of tomato in order to achieve high yields.