Effect of Potting Media and Pot Size on Yield and Fruit Quality Attributes of Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)

This research aimed to evaluate the effects of different potting media and pot sizes on yield and quality attributes (TSS%, Vitamin C, pH) of cherry tomato in the winter season under field conditions. Cherry tomato was cultivated in four different size pots by using four types of potting media. Plastic pots ranged in capacity (2L, 6L, 10L and 14L). Each treated pot was filled with air dried field loamy soil without fertilizer (control) and organic fertilizers, namely, cow dung (1:1), poultry litter (1:1) and vermicompost (1:1) which were used as treatments. In total, 16 treatment combinations were arranged in a randomized complete block design. The highest total number of fruits and fruit yield per plant of cherry tomato was obtained from the plants raised in pots with cow dung mixture soil (1:1). Organic fertilizers in pot soil significantly affected the TSS% and pH value of ripened fruits. The pot size affected the total fruit yield per plant significantly, and the best yield was 2.2 times higher than that of plants in the smallest pots. The highest total number of fruits per plant (108.75), fruit yield per plant (504.25g) and yield per hectare (20.17t) was obtained from plants in 14L size pots by using cow dung mixture soil (1:1). It was concluded that the 14L pot and cow dung mixture soil (1:1) were the best treatments for the cultivation of cherry tomato in homestead gardening.