Varietal response of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) to time of fertilizer application

Field experiments were carried out during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 dry cropping seasons at the Experiment Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City. The study was a 2 x 4 factorial fitted into a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. Two tomato varieties (Roma savannah and UC82) and four times of fertilizer application (T1: all fertilizer applied at 2 weeks after transplanting (2WAT), T2: 1/2 of the fertilizer applied at 2WAT and 1/2 at flowering, T3: one third 1/3 applied at 2WAT, 1/3 at flowering, 1/3 at fruiting and T4: all fertilizer applied at flowering) were used. In both years, stem diameter, number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight/plant (kg/ha) and yield were significantly improved by Roma savannah. Fruit diameter (5.70 cm and 4.75 cm) increased with UC82 compared with Roma savannah which produced the lowest fruit diameter (3.95 cm and 3.11 cm). Roma savannah had a higher fruit yield of 8.59 t ha-1 and 7.24 t ha-1 compared with 5.99 t ha-1 and 4.57 t ha-1 produced by UC82. In 2016/17 cropping season T3 and T4 significantly improved stem diameter above other treatments and T2 and T4 produced highest fruit yields which were similar. However, in both years highest fruit yields (10.39 t ha-1 and 7.09 t ha-1) were consistent with T2. The use of Roman savannah variety and T2 treatment should be encouraged for tomato production, in terms of higher fruit yield in this locality