Articles
GROWTH, FRUIT YIELD AND QUALITY OF TOMATO IN RELATION TO SUBSTRATE AND NUTRIENT SOURCE IN A SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEM
Article number
548_18
Pages
173 – 180
Language
English
Abstract
The performance and suitability of slow release fertilizers (SRF) for the soilless culture of tomato plants were studied.
Plants of a long shelf life tomato cultivar (Garnet) were cultivated in plastic bags containing perlite, perlite+zeolite (1:1), cocopeat and perlite+cocopeat (1:1) and fed using two nutrient sources: a) a SRF mixture of short, medium and long type incorporated into the growth substrates, and b) conventional fertigation by liquid feeding (LF), as a control.
Plant growth parameters, fruit yield and quality were measured.
Plants grown under LF had the highest leaf area and stem diameter.
Irrespectively of the nutrient source, the perlite-based mixtures or cocopeat alone resulted in higher leaf area and stem diameter.
However, plants grown in the perlite+zeolite mixture had a similar stem diameter under LF or SRF nutrient source.
Fruit yield under LF was significantly increased in the perlite based mixtures and cocopeat, while under the SRF feeding, the perlite+zeolite substrate was the best.
In addition, the perlite+zeolite mixture gave the highest early production in the case of SRF feeding, while under LF, the two substrate mixtures and perlite were the best.
Cultivation in cocopeat alone resulted in the latest harvest both in LF and SRF treatments.
Furthermore, cocopeat, alone or in mixture with perlite, contributed to an increased incidence of fruits with blossom-end rot, especially under SRF fertigation.
Fruit under SRF fertigation had a significant increase in internal and external firmness, a considerable deterioration of internal colour, a 20% decrease in soluble solid content and a 48% decrease in titratable acidity, compared to the control.
Plants of a long shelf life tomato cultivar (Garnet) were cultivated in plastic bags containing perlite, perlite+zeolite (1:1), cocopeat and perlite+cocopeat (1:1) and fed using two nutrient sources: a) a SRF mixture of short, medium and long type incorporated into the growth substrates, and b) conventional fertigation by liquid feeding (LF), as a control.
Plant growth parameters, fruit yield and quality were measured.
Plants grown under LF had the highest leaf area and stem diameter.
Irrespectively of the nutrient source, the perlite-based mixtures or cocopeat alone resulted in higher leaf area and stem diameter.
However, plants grown in the perlite+zeolite mixture had a similar stem diameter under LF or SRF nutrient source.
Fruit yield under LF was significantly increased in the perlite based mixtures and cocopeat, while under the SRF feeding, the perlite+zeolite substrate was the best.
In addition, the perlite+zeolite mixture gave the highest early production in the case of SRF feeding, while under LF, the two substrate mixtures and perlite were the best.
Cultivation in cocopeat alone resulted in the latest harvest both in LF and SRF treatments.
Furthermore, cocopeat, alone or in mixture with perlite, contributed to an increased incidence of fruits with blossom-end rot, especially under SRF fertigation.
Fruit under SRF fertigation had a significant increase in internal and external firmness, a considerable deterioration of internal colour, a 20% decrease in soluble solid content and a 48% decrease in titratable acidity, compared to the control.
Authors
E. Traka-Mavrona, D. Gerasopoulos, T. Pritsa, E. Maloupa
Keywords
cocopeat, fertigation, perlite, slow release fertilizer, soilless culture, tomato, zeolite
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