ORGANIC MANURE AND SPACING AFFECTING FLORAL AND YIELD CHARACTERS OF TOMATO

Organic manure was evaluated at the Horticulture farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, during October 2010 to April 2011 as a source of plant nutrients instead of inorganic fertilizer for tomato production. Four levels of organic manure hectare^-1 viz. 0, 10 ton cowdung, 5 ton vermicompost and 10 ton compost were treated in tomato plants maintaining three spacing of 60 cm x 60 cm, 60 cm x 45 cm and 60 cm x 30 cm arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Vermicompost and wider spacing were most effective for increasing the floral and yield characters of tomato while the highest yield of fruit ha^-1 was produced in closest spacing due to higher plant densities.