RESPONSE OF MOISTURE STRESSED TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.) GROWTH CHARACTERS TO ANTITRANSPIRANTS AT KANO IN SUDAN SAVANA OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Antitranpirants are foliar sprayed chemicals to plants in order to reduce the rate of moisture loss and increase productivity of irrigated crops. To test antitranspiracy of Salicylic and Benzoic acids, field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Bayero University Kano (11^˚ 97ʹ 98.6ʺ N, 8˚42ʹ 03.7ʺ E) 475 m elevation) during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 dry seasons   to study the effects of antitranspirants and moisture stress on crop growth and development stages of tomato. The treatments consisted of two antitranspirants at four concentrations each (0, 200, 400 and 600 ppm) and three moisture stress stages (vegetative, flowering and fruit setting). Antitranspirants and moisture stresses were assigned to the main plot and concentrations were used as sub-plot treatment. These were replicated three times and laid out in a split-plot design. Data were taken on some growth attributes of tomato and subjected to analysis of variance data using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS). The results revealed that, application of Salicylic acid at 600 ppm significantly enhanced leaf area, total dry matter, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate better than application of Benzoic acid. Interaction between and among different factors were significant on leaf area, total dry matter, crop growth rate and relative growth rate. Flowering and fruiting stages were found to be the critical growth stages for moisture stress of tomato. The study concluded that application Salicylic acid enhanced the growth characters of moisture stressed tomato better than Benzoic acid. It was recommended that 600 ppm of Salicylic acid should be foliar sprayed on moisture stressed tomato in the study area.