Yield Response of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) to Compost of Household Wastes under Three Irrigation Regimes

Study was carried out to assess the effects of compost doses on tomato yield in dry season under three irrigation regimes. The experiments were conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications where control plots, plots treated with compost at doses of 20 t ha-1, 30 t ha-1 and 40 t ha-1 and plots treated with mineral fertilizers NPK 15-15-15 and Urea (46% N) constituted the treatments. Water was supplied according to three irrigation regimes of 1, 2 and 4 days interval. At the end of tomato harvest, soil samples were randomly collected from all plots for organic matter measurement. Only tomato total yield data were statistically analyzed. The results showed that compost and irrigation regimes affected tomato yield parameters. The highest values of early ripening yield (1.25 t ha-1 - 1.68 t ha-1), marketable yield (5.73 t ha-1 - 30.34 t ha-1) and total yield (7.40 t ha-1 - 30.59 t ha-1) were recorded on plots treated with compost and with mineral fertilizers, while the lowest values of early ripening yield (0.45 - 0.95 t ha-1), marketable yield (0.84 - 1.90 t ha-1) and total yield (3.58 - 4.19 t ha-1) were recorded on control plots The interaction of compost doses and irrigation regimes occurred indicating the ability of compost to improve tomato yield was closely related with level soil moisture.