EFFECT OF THE KIND OF GROWING MEDIUM AND TRANSPLANT GRAFTING ON THE CHERRY TOMATO YIELDING
Katarzyna Kowalczyk
Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)Janina Gajc-Wolska
Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)Abstract
The most popular and efficient growing medium in soilless crop are rockwool but researches try to introduce as well other growing media to horticultural practice.
Nowadays cherry tomato is a widespread typ grown under greenhouse conditions and grafting can be a resource let to obtain cultivars with a higher fruit yielding. Two tomato cultivars: typical cherry ones as ‘Dasher’ with red skin and ‘Organza‘ with yellow skin were grown in the years 2008–2009. Half of the plants were grafted on the stock of ‘Maxifort ‘.Tomatoes were cultivated on organic media such as coconut fiber slabs, wood fiber slabs and rockwool slabs. Grafting increased yielding of cherry tomato in particular cultivated on coconut fiber and wood fiber slabs. The grafting plants of ‘Dasher’ cultivar produced much more fruit than not grafted ones. The increase of fruit weight as a result of grafting was observed in ‘Organza’ cultivar. Grafted plants of ‘Organza’ had significantly less fruit with BER than not grafted ones. ‘Dasher’ yielded considerably less than ‘Organza’. ‘Dasher’ produced the highest yield at the begining of harvest time. The yielding
of ‘Organza’ was at the same level during the entire harvest time. Early yield of both cultivars was the highest on the wood fibre slabs with grafted plants. The growing media used in the experiment – coconut fiber and wood fiber, proved their suitability in tomato soilless cultivation.
Keywords:
coconut fiber, wood fiber, rockwool, stockReferences
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Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)
Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW)
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