Development and Evaluation of Biodegradable Seed Capsules Enrich With Growth Promoting Microbe and Natural Pest Repellents for Sustainable Tomato (Solanum Iycopersicum) Cultivation

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersictm L) is one of the most widely cultivated and economically important vegetables. Improvement in seed germination and its early growth is imperative to attain higli productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate organic input-enriched biodegradable seed capsules as a sustainable approach to enhancing early growth performance in tomato. The experiment was carried out from August to November 2A25 at the Faculty of Technology, Eastem University, Sri Lanka. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with five tleatments and six replications. Treatments were combinations of liquid organic fertlhzer and neem powder incorporated into biodegradable capsules: T1 (i 0 mL), T2 (5 mL fertilizer * 5 g neem), T3 (10 mL fertilizer + 5 g neem), T4 (15 mL fertilizer + 5 g neem), and a non-capsule control. The liquid organic ferlilizer was plepared by fermenting cow dung (250 g), jaggery (50 g), and water (5 L) for 7 days at room temperature, following a modified Jeevamrutha formulation. Growth and reproductive parameters recorded were gerrnination percentage, root and shoot length, seedling vigor index, leaf count, plant height, number of nodes, days to first flowering, and number of flowers per plant. The differences in genhination, root development, vegetative growth, and flowering response were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The highest germination (91 .67%) u-as under T4, while the best vegetative groMh over 8 weeks was recorded inT2. Meanwhile,T3 showed the earliest flowering (50.83 days), and T4 gave the maximum number of flowers per plant (17.50). All capsule treatments were superior to the control, ensuring better establishment and faster seedling growth. Early fruit development showed no major differences at first; however, patterns suggest future gains in output. The mean fiuit weight per plant reached its peak under T3 andT4, pointing toward stronger productivity than control or other treatments. Overall, using degradable seed capsules along with liquid organic ferlilizer and neem boosted initial growth and flower start. Vegetative expansion and earlier flowering appeared strongest in T2 alongside T3.This eco-friendly technology may improve nursery efficiency and subsequent field productivity. Additional research into nutrient delivery, affordability, or testing across various sites should happen prior to rn'ide use..