Phytochemicals of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var dwarf gem) as influenced by nutritional treatments.

Abstract

A study on the phytochemical content of tomato (var dwarf gem) variety as influenced by nutritional treatments was carried out at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Randomisd Complete Block Design was used for the study. Twenty bucketswere filled with 30kg of sandy loamy soil. Goat pellets was used as the organic manure while for the inorganic manure, fertilizer (NPK 15:15:15) was used to treat the soil. There were ten treatments including the Control. The results on the various treatments revealed that for the Saponin content, the highest value of 1.50±0.002, was from the plant treated with organic fertilizer in combination with Phosphorus, Nacl and bicarbonate. Tannin had the highest value of 1.68±0.003 from the plant treated with inorganic fertilizer in combination with Nacl and Bicarbonate. Alkaloid and Flavonoid had their highest values of 4.02±0.010 and 2.61±0.001respectively from the plants fed with organic and inorganic fertilizers. Phenol recorded its highest value of 1.58±0.004 and for Steroid, 2.58±0.004. The lowest shoot phytochemicals was obtained from the Control. There were significant differences among the various treatments, P=0.05. The results from the root phytochemicals revealed that the highest values for Saponin, Steroid and Phenol were from the roots of the plants treated with Oraganic and inorganic fertilizers combined. Tannin was from the plant supplied with organic and inorganic in combination with Nacl and bicarbonate while for the Steroid, was from the plant treated with organic fertilizer only. In all the root experinments, there were significant differences among the various treatments. The lowest was from the Control. Keywords: Phytochemical, tomato, Solanum lycopersicum and nutritional treatments.