Foliar nutrition of water soluble potassium from banana pseudostem on growth, yield and quality of tomato

A pot culture experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Navile, Shivamogga, during the rabi 2024–25 to evaluate the effect of foliar fertilization using water-extractable potassium (We-K) obtained from banana pseudostem on tomato plant growth, yield and quality parameters. The study comprised eleven treatments in completely randomized design with three replications, integrating foliar sprays of 1–4 per cent We-K concentrations with reduced K fertilizer dose. Results revealed that foliar potassium significantly enhanced vegetative growth, yield and quality attributes compared to RDF alone. The treatment recieving 100% RDF + 4% We-K foliar spray recorded maximum plant height (124.67 cm), fruit yield (2.43 kg plant⁻¹) and superior fruit quality in terms of lycopene (4.27 mg 100 g⁻¹), total soluble solids (4.77°Brix), ascorbic acid (33.68 mg 100 g⁻¹) and extended shelf life (19.5 days). The study concludes that water-extracted potassium from banana pseudostem offers a sustainable, cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional K fertilizers for enhancing tomato productivity and quality.