Effect of seedling management on yield and quality of tomato at Adami Tulu Jiddo Kombolcha District, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Four different media (red ash, termite tomb, cow dung and course sand) were collected to make good media for tomato seedling and basic theory of good soil (half pore space and half solid materials) that prevent the soil surface from crusting which causes difficulty in water passage and aeration for normal activity of the seedling. Those media were mixed in different proportions to evaluate the best combination that better support tomato seedling with maximum nutrient. At the time of transplanting, the statistical analysis at p < 0.05 indicated red ash, course sand, termite tomb and fermented cow dung in the ratio of 4:4:2:1 combination, giving highest stem diameter (4.14±0.09 mm), leaf number (4.25±0.223) and plant height (9.76±0.39 cm) as compared to the rest treatments including those planted with routine farmers practice. As to the placement, media filled with pot and placed on top of bed at waist height gave best performance for stem diamante (4.68±0.249 mm), seedling height (10.09±0.138 cm) and number of true leafs (4.90±0.173), but the average marketable and total yield at time of harvesting contradicts with the vegetative stage, that is, media with ratio of 4 red ash, 3 course sand, 2 termite tomb and 1 fermented cow dung performing better (477±83 q/ha) followed by 469±56 q/ha for 3 red ash, 3 course sand , 3 termite tomb, 1 cow dung and 363±32 q/ha for 4 red ash, 4 course sand, 2 termite tomb and 1 fermented cow dung respectively.