Feasibility of using ceramic as a new substrate in a closed soilless culture system and its effects on productivity, fruit quality, earliness and water supply
2003
Farhat, Z. N.
The behaviour of tomato plant (Sirine) and fruit quality factors, grown in a soilless culture system limestone) as a new substrate was examined in this study. The ceramic treatment was compared to the soil system, under the same greenhouse. For the soilless culture the plants were grown in two drained tanks of ceramic (bed) dogged 35 cm in the soil with a length of 30 meters and a width of 40cm for each bed. The beds were lined by a plastic cover in order to isolate the soil from the substrate, and were 5 percent sloped in order to favour drainage of the nutrient solution which was collected, replenished and reused. The ceramic treatment was compared to the soil treatment, tomato plants were grown in two soil rows with a 30 meters length and 60 cm width for each row. The distance between two plants in the same row was 40 cm for both treatments. Volumetric counter carried out water supply which was measured after each irrigation. Moreover the yield and fruit quality were tested in both systems by measuring weight, calibre and firmness of ten fruits randomly chosen at each harvesting date. Furthermore the drainage solution, pH and earliness were tested as The ceramic treatment had showed an earliness of 6 days and saved 37 percent of water over the soil treatment In addition, ceramic treatment were 5.9 percent, 10.04 percent and 29.2 percent respectively higher than that ofsoil the soil treatment. Ceramic showed that it is a new suitable substrate for growing tomatoes and most probably other vegetable crops like cucumbers, lettuce and many others. This substrate has to be used with a calibre between 1 and 3 mm and with several irrigations per day to avoid dryness.
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