Articles
Insights from utilizing Water Retainer® in the growth and yield of processing tomato seedlings
Article number
1445_42
Pages
303 – 308
Language
English
Abstract
Global climate change poses a significant challenge to outdoor plant cultivation.
Weather extremes are becoming increasingly frequent, raising the risk associated with cultivation.
The Danube-Tisza interfluve is particularly susceptible to drought.
Two hundred years ago, the primary concerns in the area were floods and drainage; today, prolonged periods of drought are more common.
Our cultivation technology must now prioritize water retention and conservation.
Water Retainer® can reduce the need for irrigation, by preserving soil moisture.
Water Retainer® may be effective in enhancing the soil’s water-holding capacity.
In our experiment, we investigated the impact of Water Retainer® on the growth of processing tomato seedlings and crop yield.
The experiment was conducted at the Kalocsa Research Station of the Vegetable Growing Research Center of the Institute of Horticultural Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE KERTI ZKK). The seeds (‘Uno Rosso F1’) were sown in 66-cell seedling trays filled with Baltic peat.
Immediately after sowing, we irrigated the trays with two different concentrations of Water Retainer®: 1.5 mL m‑2 for one treatment and 2 mL m‑2 for the other.
Additionally, two control groups were established without Water Retainer®, one receiving optimal (100%) and the other 50% of the total irrigation amount during seedling cultivation.
At the end of the seedling growth period, we measured seedling height, the number of true leaves, and stem diameter.
Water Retainer® only resulted in higher values for seedlings in 2019 compared to the same water supply treatment, but the difference was not significant.
The highest average yield and °Brix were achieved with the 1.5 mL m‑2 Water Retainer® treatment, but there was a significant difference only in the yield of ripened fruits in 2019. In 2020, average yields were significantly lower than the previous year, and the treatments had no significant effect on ripened yield nor °Brix.
The correlation between yield and soluble solids content was no detectable in our experiments.
Weather extremes are becoming increasingly frequent, raising the risk associated with cultivation.
The Danube-Tisza interfluve is particularly susceptible to drought.
Two hundred years ago, the primary concerns in the area were floods and drainage; today, prolonged periods of drought are more common.
Our cultivation technology must now prioritize water retention and conservation.
Water Retainer® can reduce the need for irrigation, by preserving soil moisture.
Water Retainer® may be effective in enhancing the soil’s water-holding capacity.
In our experiment, we investigated the impact of Water Retainer® on the growth of processing tomato seedlings and crop yield.
The experiment was conducted at the Kalocsa Research Station of the Vegetable Growing Research Center of the Institute of Horticultural Sciences of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE KERTI ZKK). The seeds (‘Uno Rosso F1’) were sown in 66-cell seedling trays filled with Baltic peat.
Immediately after sowing, we irrigated the trays with two different concentrations of Water Retainer®: 1.5 mL m‑2 for one treatment and 2 mL m‑2 for the other.
Additionally, two control groups were established without Water Retainer®, one receiving optimal (100%) and the other 50% of the total irrigation amount during seedling cultivation.
At the end of the seedling growth period, we measured seedling height, the number of true leaves, and stem diameter.
Water Retainer® only resulted in higher values for seedlings in 2019 compared to the same water supply treatment, but the difference was not significant.
The highest average yield and °Brix were achieved with the 1.5 mL m‑2 Water Retainer® treatment, but there was a significant difference only in the yield of ripened fruits in 2019. In 2020, average yields were significantly lower than the previous year, and the treatments had no significant effect on ripened yield nor °Brix.
The correlation between yield and soluble solids content was no detectable in our experiments.
Authors
B. Schmidt-Szantner, T. Gáll, Á. Molnár-Mondovics, R. Tömösközi-Farkas, Z. Pék
Keywords
processing tomato, seedlings, irrigation, water retention
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