Abstract

Arable land becomes depleted of nutrients over the years it is farmed. Farmers use chemical inputs to maintain or increase production. The abusive use of these chemical fertilizers has a negative impact on the environment and on consumers health. It is therefore timely to look for alternatives with biofertilizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Azolla caroliniana Willd fern filtrate and compost on tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L., variété Boomerang F1) growth and production, in comparison with NPK. To achieve this objective, the experiments were conducted in a Fisher block design with three replications. Several parameters identified as being essential in assessing the effect of fertilizers were regularly monitored in the plantation during the vegetative and reproductive phases. These were plant height, leaf length, collar diameter, number of branches, number of flower clusters, number of fruits produced and yield. At the end of the study, it was found that A. caroliniana filtrate significantly increased the height of the plants (145.72 cm) and enabled them to produce more fruit (51.33 per plant), which in turn increased yield (44.23 t/ha). A. caroliniana filtrate is a biofertilizer that may therefore be an effective alternative for improving agricultural production of tomato.