SOIL AMENDMENT AND FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT FOR FRUIT AND SEED YIELD OF TOMATO AT TWO LOCATIONS IN NORTHEAST THAILAND

The effect of soil amendment method using 'filter cake' (fermented organic waste from a sugar mill factory) and chicken manure, in combination with different forms of nitrogen fertilizers and application of calcium chloride on fresh fruit and seed yield of processing tomato variety 'X6048' were investigated. The study was conducted from October 2004 to January 2005 at the experimental fields of Khon Kaen University and at the Genuine Seed Co. experimental fields, Khon Kaen Province, in Northeast Thailand. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with 5 soil amendment treatments, 3 replicates and 30 plants in each replicate. Soil amendment with the full amount of organic fertilizer and fertilizer management by half of the recommended amount of nitrate-based nitrogen fertilizer (about 1 t·ha^-1) gave the highest fresh fruit and seed yield at both locations. Soil amendment with half of the amount of organic fertilizer and fertilizer management by half of the recommended amount of nitrate-based nitrogen fertilizer also gave the highest fresh fruit and seed yield but only at the experimental field of Genuine Seed Co.