RESEARCH TOPIC:-

EFFECT OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER AND FLY ASH

ON GROWTH OF LOCAL VARIETY OF TOMATO
PLANT (CHERRY OR CERASIFORME) GROWING
IN DISTRICT ABBOTTABAD
SUBMITTED BY : KAYINAT GUL AWAN (326)
MARRIYUM BIBI (202)
LAIBA ZED (290)

SUPERVISED BY : MADIHA IFTIKHAR

BS. BOTANY (VIII)
 SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L:
SYSTEMATIC POSITION
• Kingdom :: Plantae
• Clade :: Tracheophytes
• Clade :: eudicots
• Clade :: asterids
• Order :: solanales
• Family :: solanaceae
• Genus :: solanum
• Specie :: lycopersicum
• Variety :: cerasiforme
 INTRODUCTION:
• Tomato (solanum lycopersicum L.) an important vegetable crop
belonging to family solanaceae is widely grown all over the world.
• Tomato is one of the most cultivated horticultural crop worldwide.
Despite being a fruit , it’s generally eaten and prepared like a
vegetable.
• In 1753, Linnaeus placed the tomato in the genus solanum as
solanum lycopersicum (tomato).
• Tomato (solanum lycopersicum L.) Is a rich source of minerals,
vitamins, fiber and dietary source of antioxidants and essential
amino acids.
• Its production varies annually as well as seasonally.
• In Pakistan, tomatoes can be grown all the year round with care, with the
exception of areas in which the temperature regularly plummets below zero. In
the winter months, it can take two to three months or even longer for maturity.
• The optimum temperature for tomato growth ranges from 22-32°c. Average
annual temperature in Abbottabad is 15.9°c / 60.6°f
• Therefore, application of fertilizers (ammonia, urea) is one of the most
important factor for obtaining well developed tomato.
• Nitrogen plays an important role in the plant development and growth. So, it is
better to apply nitrogen during the growing stage of tomato crop.
• Fly ash, a black solid waste is produced in huge quantities during coal burning.
Fly ash addition can improve the nutrient status of soil and neutralize soil acidity.
• Tomato plants grown in the ash-soil mixture showed luxuriant growth with
bigger and greener leaves as compared to plants grown in nitrogen fertilizer.
• . Fly ash (fa), despite of its ill effects on agricultural land, has become an aid for
the farming community.
• Because of its great availability and low cost, further possibility of its usage
should be investigated.
STUDY AREA:-
• This research is aimed to be conducted in Abbottabad district in the Hazara division of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, it is in the Orash valley lying between 34. 92on latitude and 73. 13oe longitude at
an altitude of 1,256m.
• The district named after Major James Abbott, the first deputy commissioner of Hazara 1849-
1853.
• Humid subtropical climate with mild to warm temperature .
• Temperature can rise as high as 38C and drops below -5C.
• Annual rain fall is 60.3inches.
LITERATURE REVIEW:-
• Originating from the andes, tomatoes (solanum lycopersicum L.) Were imported to Europe in
the 16th century.
• At present tomato plant (solanum lycopersicum) has become an economically important edible
crop.
• In 1753, Linnaeus placed the tomato in the genus solanum as solanum lycopersicum (tomato).
• Tomato holds an important position among crop plants in the European countries and the
mediterranean basin in particular, either as a field crop for processing tomato production or as
a vegetable crop for table fruit production.
• Nitrogen, being the most important macro nutrients, affects not only the vegetative growth, but
also the fruit yield of a crop.
• Processing tomato cropping systems are very beneficial in terms of nutrient inputs, and
generally, the applied fertilizer techniques aim to increase yield.
• Pakistan ranks 33rd and 52nd, respectively in the world in terms of tomato production and
export value.
• For increasing demand for food, current agricultural systems rely on nitrogen fertilizers,
which represents the reactive or biologically available nitrogen in soil.
• Fly ash treatment enhanced the tomato yield and adversely affected the disease intensity.
• It was found that ash application greatly increased the soil contents of P, K, B, ca, mg, mn,
zn, carbonates, bicarbonates and sulphates.
AIMS AND OBEJECTIVES:-
The aim behind conducting this research is to conserve the local variety of tomato
plant(cerasiforme) of Abbottabad which is now becoming a rare species of tomato and to
study the effect of climate change on growth of tomato plant in Abbottabad.
The present research is intended to evaluate the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilizers
(ammonia, urea) and fly ash in tomato plant (cerasiforme) under the agro-climatic conditions
in Abbottabad, Pakistan and to check maximum growth at different stages of plant life.
 Objectives of study are as follows:
1.To evaluate the effect on growth in seeds treated with fly ash, in seeds sown in soil with fly ash
and nitrogen fertilizers and in seeds sown in soil without fly ash and fertilizers.
2.To check maximum growth at different stages of plant life.
3.To check fruit yield per plant and fruit diameter.
METHODOLOGY:-
 The seeds of the
tomato were obtained from the locally grown tomato variety, cerasiforme
(Chainghurn) and were stored in fly ash and without fly ash for 2 months.
Then stored seeds were planted in pots. The average temperature at which tomato
thrive are between 14-32oc (march-June). However, it is vulnerable to 35 oc.
 We applied different doses of nitrogen fertilizers in the form of ammonia and urea
and fly ash and the different parameters will be studied, like, vegetative growth in
stem, leaf, etc. Number of days required for flowering, number of days required for
fruiting, fruit diameter and yield of tomato per plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.).
The seeds of the tomato will be obtained from the locally grown tomato variety,
cerasiforme (cherry) and will be stored in fly ash and without fly ash for 2 months.
 RESULTS
• THIS EXPERIMENT WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE RESPONSE OF TOMATO PLANT TO VARIOUS NITROGEN
TREATMENTS FROM TWO NITROGEN FERTILIZERS (UREA, AMMONIA) AND EFFECT OF FLY ASH ON GROWTH OF TOMATO
PLANT. FOUR CLAY POTS WERE USED IN THE EXPERIMENTS. THE RESULTS REPORTED ARE CONCERNED WITH PLANT YIELD,
FRUIT DIAMETER, DAYS OF FLOWERING, DAYS OF MATURITY AND PLANTS APPEARANCE AS AFFECTED BY VARIOUS
NITROGEN TREATMENT AND PLANTS AFFECTED BY FLY ASH.
• 4.1 PLANT GROWTH AND FERTILIZATION
• TOMATO VARIETY, CERASIFORME (CHAINGHURN) AND WILL BE STORED IN FLY ASH AND WITHOUT FLY ASH FOR 2 MONTHS.
THE SEEDS WERE SOWN IN SMALL CLAY POTS. THE PLANTS WERE GROWN UNDER NORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.
 

• THE POTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED AS T1, T2, T3, AND T4. WE APPLIED DIFFERENT DOSES OF NITROGEN FERTILIZERS IN THE
FORM OF AMMONIA AND UREA AND FLY ASH. THE POT T1 SEEDS WERE TREATED WITH FLY ASH, POT T2 SEEDS WERE SOWN IN
SOIL WITH FLY ASH AND NITROGEN FERTILIZERS, POT T3 SEEDS WERE SOWN IN SOIL WITHOUT FLY ASH AND FERTILIZERS
AND POT T4 SEEDS WERE TREATED WITH NITROGEN FERTILIZERS (UREA AND AMMONIA). DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN
CONTAINING FERTILIZER SOLUTIONS WERE APPLIED TO TOMATO PLANTS AND WATERED UP TO 8 DAYS AFTER SEED SOWING.
• FROM 3RD MARCH TO 26TH APRIL, T2 AND T4 ALL PLANTS WERE FERTILIZED WEEKLY WITH 25 ML OF NITROGEN PREPARED
NUTRIENT SOLUTION TO AVOID SEVERE CHANGES IN THE LEVEL OF NITROGEN APPLIED TO A PLANT.
• The experiment was to obtain the information on the response of cerasiforme variety of tomato plant to 5 levels of
nitrogen application using the two different kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (urea and ammonia).

• Seeds were sown on 3rd march, 2022. We dig out soil from pots up to 3 inches and then seed were planted. After 2 weeks,
maximum height of seedling was 1cm. During these two weeks we applied one dose of nitrogen in the form of urea and
ammonia. On 14th march, shoots emerge from the soil. Plants in pot T4 show late growth i-e on 19 th march.

• After two weeks of april we measure the leaf size and observing the plant growth. The length of the leaf of plants in pot
T1 is 2cm, T2 is 1.5cm, T3 is2cm, T4 is 4cm and the height of the plants in pot T1 is 37cm, T2 is 30cm, T3 is 28cm, T4 is
38cm. The flowers buds arise and the numbers of the flowers appear on the plants vary according to the treatment we
applied i-e fertilizer (ammonia and urea), fly ash and simple soil. The plants treated with the fly ash were showing light
color as compared to the plants treated with fertilizer.

When the shoot emerges from the soil, most of the sporophyte body plan remains to be elaborated. Shows the basic parts of
the mature sporophyte plant, which will emerge from meristems. The foliage of the plant in pot T1 is showing more
prominent growth than the pot T3.

• In the second week of may we again measure the leaf size and observing the plant growth. The length of the leaf of plants
in pot T1 is 8cm, T2 is 8.5cm, T3 is 6cm, T4 is 11cm and the height of the plants in pot T1 is 50cm, T2 is 45cm, T3 is
36cm, T4 is 40cm.The flowers sprout showing growth.

• In the last week of may, we again measure the leaf size and observing the plant growth. The length of the leaf of plants in
pot T1 is 8cm, T2 is 9cm, T3 is 7cm, T4 is12cm and the height of the plants in pot T1 is 55cm, T2 is 54cm, T3 is 38cm,
T4 is 56cm.
 Table 1: Average data regarding days of flowering, days of maturity, fruit per pot

Pots (T) Days of flowering Days of maturity Fruits per pot

T1 50 days 74 days 45

T2 54 days 79 days 18

T3 72 days 101 days 05

T4 46 days 70 days 21
. Table2: Plant height and leaf size according to month.

Month Pots (T) Plant height (cm) Leaf size (cm)

March(3rd -20th) T1 1cm null
  T2 0.6cm null
  T3 0.8 cm null
  T4 1.1cm null
April (15th ) T1 37cm 2cm
  T2 30cm 1.5cm
  T3 28cm 2cm
  T4 38cm 4cm
May(8) T1 50cm 8cm
  T2 45cm 8.5cm
  T3 36cm 6cm
  T4 40cm 11cm
May (26) T1 55cm 8cm
  T2 54cm 9cm
  T3 38cm 7cm
  T4 56cm 12cm
July(26) T1 99cm 31cm
  T2 70cm 18cm
  T3 67cm 16cm
  T4 89cm 23cm
 Table 3: fruit diameter in each pot
T1 T2 T3 T4

6.2 cm 3.9cm 2.6cm 3.9cm

4.8cm 4.2cm 3.1cm 4.5cm

4.3cm 4cm   4.1cm

4.1cm 4.6cm   4.8cm

4.2cm 4.1cm   3.9cm

5.1cm 4.3cm   4.1cm

4.2cm 3.1cm   4.2cm

4.9cm 4.7cm   4.3cm

4.7cm      

4cm      

4.6cm      

3.9cm      
 CONCLUSION
• THE BEST PLANT GROWTH AND YIELD IS OBTAINED BY USING COAL FLY ASH TREATMENTS AS COMPARED TO FERTILIZER
TREATMENTS. THE FLY ASH DEBRIS ENHANCES THE SOIL PROPERTIES, UPGRADES THE RATE OF GERMINATION OF SEED,
PRODUCING THE GREENER FOLIAGE WITH LUXURIANT GROWTH OF PLANT, FLOWER AND FRUIT.
• THE PARAMETERS OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH AND YIELD ARE HIGHLY AFFECTED BY FLY ASH TREATMENT ENSURING
THE CROP IMPROVEMENT THUS THE GREATEST YIELD OF TOMATO PLANT OF VARIETY CERASIFORME WAS OBTAINED FROM
THE FLY ASH TREATMENTS WHICH IS CHEAP, AND EASY WAY TO FULFILL THE COMMERCIAL FRUIT DEMAND OF TOMATOES.
• CLIMATE CHANGE OF ABBOTTABAD ALSO EFFECT THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATO PLANT BUT FLY ASH TREATMENT
STILL SHOWS THE BEST PRODUCTION.
• OUR INVESTIGATION MAJOR GOAL IS TO INTRODUCE RARE SPECIES OF TOMATO VARIETY CERASIFORME OF ABBOTTABAD AND
BY CONDUCTING RESEARCH WE COME TO KNOW FLY ASH TREATMENTS IS THE BEST WAY TO CONSERVE THIS UNIQUE SPECIES.
• SO IN THE CURRENT STUDY WE RECOMMENDED THAT USE FLY ASH FOR THE BETTER CROP YIELD WHILE NITROGEN
FERTILIZERS (AMMONIA, UREA) FOR THE BETTER QUALITY OF TOMATO CROP.
•  
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