EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MANURE ON THE GERMINATION, GROWTH, AND YIELD OF TOMATOES

ABSTRACT Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a globally important vegetable crop valued for its nutritional and economic significance. Low soil fertility remains a major constraint to its productivity, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the comparative effects of organic (poultry and cow dung manure) and inorganic (NPK 15:15:15) fertilizers on seed germination, vegetative growth, and yield of the Roma VF tomato variety under field conditions at the University of Maiduguri Research Farm, Nigeria. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three treatments poultry manure (10 t/ha), cow dung manure (10 t/ha), and NPK 15:15:15 (300 kg/ha) replicated thrice, was employed. Data on germination percentage, plant height, leaf number, flowering, fruit set, and yield were collected weekly and analyzed using ANOVA at 5% significance level. The results showed that cow dung manure significantly enhanced germination (95% after 14 days), produced the highest mean leaf number (73.87 leaves/plant at week 5), promoted earlier and more abundant flowering (18.33 flowers per plant by week 3), and advanced fruiting (1.78 fruits per plant at week 3) compared to poultry manure, NPK fertilizer, and the control. Poultry manure showed moderate improvements, while NPK fertilizer promoted faster early vegetative growth but delayed flowering and fruiting. The superior performance of cow dung across all parameters highlights its effectiveness in improving soil fertility, supporting vegetative and reproductive development, and increasing overall tomato yield. The study concludes that cow dung manure is a viable and sustainable alternative to inorganic fertilizers for tomato production, particularly for smallholder farmers. Integrating organic manures with good agronomic practices is recommended to enhance yield, improve soil health, and promote environmentally sustainable cultivation.