Vine Length, Fruit Lycopene and Carotene Contents as Influenced by Fertilizer, Salinity and Bicarbonate Treatments in Snake Tomato (Tricosanthes cucumerina L.)

Aim: To determine the influence of fertilizer, salinity, and bicarbonate treatments on vine length, fruit lycopene and carotene contents in snake tomato (Tricosanthes cucumerina L.)

Study Design: Complete randomized block design (CRBD).

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out under a screen house at the botanical garden of the Department of Botany, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka located on Latitude 6.25/Longitude7.11 and experiments was carried out from August to November, 2024.

Methodology: Viable seeds were planted in 30 liters volume black plastic buckets, germinated seedlings were irrigated with tap water till 21 days after germination before watering with 2mM of NaCl, NaHCO3 and KHCO3 water at 7 days interval. Inorganic fertilizer of NPK (15:15:15) was applied at the rates of 7 g per pot at 14 days after germination, while organic fertilizer of poultry manure was applied 14 days before seed planting and combined fertilizer treatment at the ratio 1:1 was used. The treatments comprised of fifteen treatments with five replicates randomly set out. Treatments are control, Inorganic+NaCl, Inorganic+NaHCO3, Inorganic+KHCO3, Inorganic+NaCl+NaHCO3, Inorganic+NaCl+KHCO3, Organic+NaCl, Organic+NaHCO3, Organic+KHCO3, Organic+NaCl+NaHCO3, Oganic+NaCl+KHCO3, Combined+NaCl, Combined+NaHCO3, Combined+KHCO3, Combined+NaCl+NaHCO3 and Combined+NaCl+KHCO3.

Results: Results were analyzed with ANOVA, and means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test, confidence level was at P = .05. Results showed that growth generally progressed from seedling stage up to 12 weeks. Inorganic fertilizer treatments with salinity and bicarbonates initially gave higher vine length, followed by combined fertilizer which later outperformed it. Organic fertilizer generally gave lower growth rate. At week 10, combined+KHCO3 had highest vine length of 578.03±8.45 cm, followed by Combined+NaCl+NaHCO3 had 574.53±9.96 cm, while Organic+NaCl had the least of 403.23±59.33 cm and control had 505.63±18.27. There was significant effect of the treatments on lycopene content, which showed Combined+NaHCO3 had the highest effect of 85.90 ± 0.65 mg/100 g, followed by combined+NaCl+NaHCO3 which had 84.91 ± 0.33 mg/100 g and the carotene content by same treatment had 2.48 ± 0.07 mg/100 g and for carotene 2.32 ± 0.09 mg/100 g.

Conclusion: Plant vine length was influenced by treatments, however fruit yield of lycopene and carotene was positively influenced by treatments.