To study the impact of date of transplanting, spacing and training systems on developmental stages and dry matter accumulation in tomato production under protected conditions

Abstract

The developmental stages and dry matter accumulation of tomato affected by date of transplanting, spacing and training systems under protected condition was studied at the Research Farm of Department of Agricultural Engineering, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur during summer season of 2013 and 2014 in two separate experiments inside the naturally ventilated playhouses. In this experiment, treatments comprised of three dates of transplanting (15th March, 30th March and 15th April), two spacing (60 cm x 30 cm and 75 cm x 30 cm) and two training systems (two shoots and three shoots) was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Plants grown at wider spacing of 75 cm x 30 cm took significantly lesser number of days for flower initiation, 50 per cent flowering, fruit setting and days to first picking, more number of fruits per plant than 60 cm x 30 cm spacing.