Effects of soil amendment and intercropping on total soluble solids (0Brix), titratable acidity and pH of two tomato varieties

Abstract

Tomato is an important vegetable condiment used for stew and other recipes in Nigeria. It is one of the most protective foods, low in calories and has been associated with decreased risk of some cancer types. The experiment was carried out in National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, in South Western Nigeria. The experiments were design as 2x2x5 factorial arranged in split-split plots with the main effects comprising of cropping system (sole and intercropped tomato), the sub-plots made up of two tomato varieties (Uc82B and Ibadan local) and the sub-sub plots consisted of five soil amendments (0, 60, and 120 kg N/ha NPK 15-15-15 and 10 and 20 tons/ha poultry manure). The soil was slightly acidic in 20011 to near neutral in 2012, poor in essential plant nutrients and low in organic matter. The nutrients composition of the poultry manure show an appreciable amount of plant nutrients which may be adequate to ameliorate the deficiency of the native soil fertility. The tomato was intercropped with maize. The results reveal that the cropping systems had no significant effect on the total soluble solids (⁰Brix), but application of 10 t/ha PM resulted in significantly higher value especially in Ibadan local. The titratable acidity was not significantly influenced by the variety, while application of 120 kg N/ha NPK resulted in the highest values. The application of 20 t/ha PM resulted in significantly highest pH and the least pH value was obtained with the application of 120kgN/ha NPK.