Effect of Wood Ash on Soil Chemical Properties, Growth and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

In Central Africa and particularly in the Republic of Congo, the chemical poverty of soils considerably affects the growth of food and vegetable crops such as tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), which nevertheless represents a source of income for producers. This study focused on the evaluation of the effect of wood ash on the chemical properties of the soil, growth and yield of Lycopersicon esculentum. The completely randomized Ficher experimental design with 5 treatments and 4 repetitions was used. The treatments consisted of wood ash inputs at 0; 12.5; 25; 50 and 100g/kg of soil. Observations and measurements focused on physicochemical parameters of the growing media and the number of leaves per plant, plant size, stem diameter, the number of fruits per plant, the weight of 10 fruits and yield. Results showed an improvement in the chemical properties of the soil. Wood ash additions significantly increased stem diameter, number of fruits per plant, weight of 10 fruits, and yield compared to the control. The best results on growth parameters and yield were obtained with wood ash addition at 12.5 g/kg. Wood ash addition is recommended for market gardeners in the Brazzaville City.