Effect of potash application on the growth and yield of Tomato crop grown in saline condition

The effect of supplemental potash and its sources on the growth and yield of tomato crop grown in salinity stress condition was studied during the year 2012 and 2013. The tomato plants were irrigated with 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl saline solutions. Supplemental potash was applied from two sources (SOP and MOP) and evaluated against control (no potash supplement). The maximum fresh weight of roots (8.97 g) and shoot (217.4 g), dry weight of roots (3.11 g) and shoot (46.35 g), shoot/root ratio (24.56), number of leaves/plant (110) and yield (7.32 t. h) were recorded in control plants. In contrast, the minimum root and shoot fresh weight (3.63 and 69.71 g respectively), root and shoot dry weight (0.76 and 11.55 g respectively), shoot/root ratio (18.46), number of leaves/plant (52) and yield 1.15 t. h, were recorded for the treatment with 200 mM NaCl. Application of supplemental potash and its sources significantly affected the salinity induced changes in tomato plants. The SOP source of potassium resulted in the highest fresh root and shoot weights (6.74 g,158.5 g respectively), dry weight of root (2.17 g) and shoot (32.11 g), shoot root/ratio (23.23), number of leaves per plant (88.4) and yield 4.60 t.ha. The interaction of salinity and supplemental potash also significantly affected the number of leaves per plant and yield. The highest number of leaves per plant (109) and yield (7.56 t.ha) in control plants, declined with increasing salinity to the minimum of 41 and 0.42 t.ha with 200 mM NaCl + no supplemental potash. Both the potash sources at all levels of salinity had relatively higher number of leaves per plant and yield as compared no supplemental potash treatment. However, at each level of salinity, SOP as potash source resulted in higher number of leaves and yield as