EMERGENCE AND YIELD OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM MILL.) IN RESPONSE TO PRESOWING TREATEMENTS

Osmotic priming in KNO₃; two coatings, (a) coated-primed-thiram (C-P-Th) and (b) coated-control-thiram (C-C-Th); three pregerminated seed treatments encapsulated in gel (a) Ridomil (Ger-Ri), (b) Benlate (Ger-Be), and (c) pregerminated control (Ger); and raw seed with fungicides (a) Ridomil (Raw-Ri) and (b) Benlate (Raw-Be), were compared and evaluated. Primed seeds showed an earlier onset, faster emergence, and significantly higher red (24.4 percent), and total (12.9 percent) fruit yield than control seeds. Within coating, C-P-Th had an earlier, more uniform, and higher total emergence than C-C-Th, however, fruit yields were not significantly different. Emergence of pregerminated seed treatments were less uniform and require more time to emerge as compared to control seeds, primed seeds, and fungicide treatments. Ger had a significantly superior response than both Ger-Ri and Ger-Be. Fungicide Raw-Ri outperformed Raw-Be emergence responses, however yields were not affected. Time of flowering and fruit quality were not affected by the presowing treatments.

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