Effects of staking techniques on growth and yield of tomato varieties in northwestern Ethiopia

Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicon L.) is amongst the most important fresh vegetables used worldwide. Growth and yield of tomatoes are constrained by a lack of improved varieties and inefficient agronomic methods, such as staking. Recognizing the fundamental importance of staking to reduce the effect of high moisture and disease on the growth and yield of tomatoes is essential. A field study was conducted on the effects of staking techniques on the growth and yield of tomato varieties in northwestern Ethiopia at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Debre Markos University, demonstration site under irrigation conditions in two growing seasons, 2021/22 and 2022/23. Cochero, Eshet, Metadel, and Miya varieties were used while three staking techniques (single-string staking as treatment one (S1), Florida weave string staking as treatment two (S2), and non-staking as a control treatment (S0)) were used. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Data were collected and analyzed using SAS 9.2 software. Means were separated by using LSD at a 5% probability level. Based on the results of the present experiment, Metadel with single-string staking recorded the maximum fruit yield (96.25 t ha^{- 1}) and (103.72 t ha^{- 1}) in both seasons. On the other hand, the Metadel variety combined with single-string staking gave the maximum marketable yield of 91.09 t ha^{- 1} and 96.97 t ha^{- 1} in the first and second seasons, respectively. Therefore, the adoption of Metadel with single-string staking techniques enables farmers to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and promote sustainable agricultural systems in regions of similar agro-ecological zones.