Relative Growth Rate And Net Assimilation Rate Of Tomato Fertilized With Rice-Washing Water

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Rice-washing water enriched with coconut water has potential as liquid organic fertilizer, yet its effects on tomato physiological growth efficiency remain insufficiently characterized. This study specifically evaluated relative growth rate and net assimilation rate under different fertilizer concentrations and application frequencies. The experiment was conducted from March to June 2023 in North Bengkulu, Indonesia. Plant dry mass and leaf area were measured at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after transplanting to calculate relative growth rate and net assimilation rate. The 1:10 dilution produced the highest relative growth rates, 0.81 and 0.65, during 2–4 and 4–6 weeks after transplanting, respectively. The same dilution produced the highest net assimilation rates of 0.0050 and 0.0028 g cm−2 day−1. Application frequency did not independently affect either physiological indicator. Concentration and frequency interacted during 4–6 weeks for relative growth rate, with the strongest response occurring at the 1:10 dilution applied two or three times. Net assimilation rate declined in all treatments during the later interval, indicating reduced assimilation efficiency as plants aged. A 1:10 dilution therefore provided the most favorable nutrient balance for tomato biomass accumulation and leaf-area efficiency. This manuscript reports physiological variables not presented in the previously published growth-and-yield article derived from the same experiment.