OPTIMIZING TOMATO GROWTH AND YIELD THROUGH THE INTEGRATED APPLICATION OF AZOLLA PINNATA AND SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS

Abstract

Increased dependence on chemical fertilizers has raised concerns over reduced soil health and increased environmental degradation. Options that reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers without affecting the quality and quantity of the yield have gained importance. Azolla pinnata, a nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, proves to be a viable alternative in that concern. This study was set out to examine how well A.pinnata works as a sustainable alternative, both by itself and in combination with synthetic fertilizers, to improve tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plant growth, nutrient uptake, and yield while lowering the dependence on chemical fertilizers. A study was conducted to examine the effect of the combined application of Azolla pinnata and chemical fertilizers from March 2024 to Jun 2024 at JSS AHER, Mysore, Karnataka. This study examined the effects of eight treatments on tomato plants, which included a control group with no fertilizers, 100% synthetic fertilizers, and various combinations of A. pinnata and synthetic fertilizers.  Plant growth parameters, along with fruit number and fruit weight, were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of each treatment. The best results were obtained with T₆ in increased plant height of 64.02 cm, a leaf area index of 1.52, an average of 33.01 fruits per plant, and a fruit weight of 50.16 g when 50% NPK and 50% A. pinnata were applied together. he results indicate that partial replacement of synthetic fertilizer with Dry A. pinnata biomass produced comparable responses for selected growth and yield components under the conditions of the present experiment. The results highlight A. pinnata's potential for sustainable farming and lessen the negative effects of chemical fertilizers.