Phenological Development and Production Potentials of Tomato under Polyhouse Climate

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in a covered polyhouse along with an open field (control) aside the Field Laboratory of the Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from December 2007 to April 2008 to compare the phenological development and production potentials of two tomato varieties viz. BARI Tomato-3 and Ratan under polyhouse and open field conditions. Photosynthetically active radiation inside the polyhouse was reduced by about 40% compared to the outside (i.e. open field) while air and soil temperatures were always remained higher. From December to February the mid day air temperature under polyhouse and open field varied from 31.8 to 39.1ºC and 23.3 to 31.1ºC, respectively indicating about 8ºC higher air temperature inside polyhouse and during that time the average air temperature inside polyhouse was about 28ºC which was optimum for the growth and development of tomato plants. Relative humidity had opposite trends with that of air temperature i.e. it was lower inside the polyhouse as compared to open field. The above microclimatic variabilities inside polyhouse favoured the growth and development of tomato plant through increased plant height, number of branches/plant, rate of leaf area expansion and leaf area index over the plants grown in open field. Flowering, fruit setting and fruit maturity in polyhouse plants were advanced by about 3, 4 and 5 days, respectively compared to the crop raised in open field condition. Polyhoused plants had higher number of flower clusters/plant, flowers/cluster, flowers/plant, fruit clusters/plant, fruits/cluster and fruits/plant, and fruit length, fruit diameter, individual fruit weight, fruit weight/plant and fruit yield over open field condition. The fruit yield obtained from the polyhouse was 81 t/ha against 57 t/ha from the open field. Key words: Phenological development; polyhouse climate; production potentials; tomato. DOI: 10.4038/jas.v5i1.2329 Journal of Agricultural Sciences Vol.5(1) 2010 pp.19-31