Response of Yield and Yield Components of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) to Different Tillage Methods

A field experiment was conducted at the Research Site of Varamin Agricultural Research Center, Varamin, Iran on the sandy loam soils to study the response of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) to different tillage methods during 2007 and 2008 growing seasons. Tillage treatments in the study included were conventional tillage (CT; moldboard plowing + two passes of disk harrowing), minimum tillage (MT; one pass of disk harrowing) and no-tillage (NT). Yield, yield components (plant population density, PPD; number of fruits per plant, NFPP; fruit weight, FW; fruit length, FL; fruit diameter, FD) and fruit quality parameter (total soluble solids, TSS) were determined for all treatments. Results indicated that tillage methods significantly (P <= 0.05) influenced the yield, yield components and TSS. Results also showed that PPD and NFPP were the most important yield components explaining yield difference under the different tillage methods. The maximum PPD (10025 plants ha(-1)), NFPP (19.1) and as a result yield (12.2 t ha(-1)) were observed with the CT, while maximum values of FW (71.2 g), FL (70.0 mm), FD (59.2 mm) and TSS (7.27%) were noted NT plots. On the other hand, minimum PPD (5117 plants ha(-1)), NFPP (10.2) and hence yield (3.70 t ha(-1)) were obtained with NT, while the minimum values of FW (63.6 g), FL (61.0 mm), FD (53.6 mm) and TSS (5.81%) were noted in case of the CT treatment. Therefore, one pass of moldboard plow followed by two passes of disk harrow was found to be more appropriate and profitable tillage method in improving yield of tomato in the arid lands of Iran.