Effects of Salinity on Soil and Tomato Yield at Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Saline soil is an increasing threat to agriculture and a key factor in reducing plant productivity. A field study was carried out from different soil depths at Kalapara Upazila in Patuakhali district and tomato plant was grown to determine the effects of salinity on it. It was found that the soil was silty clay, average pH 6.65, cation exchange capacity varied from 12.80 to 21.0 meq/100 g soil venting medium to high status. The organic matter content was low (0.967%), total nitrogen was 0.071%, phosphorous and potassium were low but sulphur was high (47 mg/kg). Exchangeable sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium existed at high levels. The present results revealed that salinity adversely affected the morphological and yield parameters of tomato. The tomato yield declined as salinity increased, and the reduction varied depending on the stage. The yield decreasing rate was the highest in BARI Tomato 14 (62%), but BARI Tomato 7 showed lower decreases due to salinity increases (47%). So, BARI Tomato-7 was the most salt tolerant and suitable variety for the Kalapara coastal region.