GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.) VARIETIES UNDER TWO NURSERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are among the most widely cultivated and consumed vegetables globally, valued for their nutritional, economic, and culinary significance. However, one of the key challenges facing tomato production is the inconsistent performance of seedlings, which is largely influenced by the nursery management system adopted during the early growth stages. This study investigated the growth and yield performance of five tomato varieties: Padma (V1), Odile (V2), Kilele (V3), Platinum (V4), and Diva (V5) under two nursery management systems: tray nursery and bed nursery. Growth parameters such as plant height, vine length, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area were measured at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after transplanting, while reproductive traits like number of days to 50% flowering and fruits were also evaluated. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed across varieties and nursery systems, the results indicates that bed systems generally promoted more vegetative growth, with taller plants (mean: 41.99 cm), longer vines (4.21 cm), and larger leaves (15.92 cm. Tray systems favored reproductive traits in certain varieties (V5 and V4), such as higher flower counts 42.33 in Diva (V5) and fruit yields 21.83 in Platinum (V4), possibly due to reduced transplant shock. Significant varietal differences were observed, with Diva (V5) performing well in both systems, while others like Kilele (V3) showed system-specific advantages. These findings highlight the importance of matching nursery practices to varietal traits for optimizing tomato productivity. The best performing traits from the bed nursery management system might be due to enhanced root development and nutrient uptake.