Effect of soilless media on nutrient uptake and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Abstract

Soilless culture provides an alternative to soil culture when serious soil problems (i.e. soil borne pests, soil salinity, chemical residues in soil, lack of fertile soil) create difficulties in traditional soil-based production. Soilless culture includes growing media, like cocopeat, vermiculite, perlite etc. or hydroponics system. The study was conducted during 2016 and 2017 to standardize growing media for soilless tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production at Department of Soil Science and Water Management, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. The treatments consisted of different growing media, viz. cocopeat alone (control), cocopeat + vermicompost (70:30) and vermiculite + vermicompost (70:30). Plants were irrigated and fertigated with equal amount of Hoagland nutrient solution for meeting nutrient requirement. Treatment containing cocopeat + vermicompost (70:30) increased the nutrient uptake of N , P and K which was evident by the increased yield vis-à-vis control, i.e. cocopeat, alone. The results indicate that growing media consisting of cocopeat + vermicompost (70:30) enhances the quality and yield of tomato over the generally preferred growing media i.e. cocopeat, alone. The findings of the study will be helpful for the growers for enhancing the quality and yield of tomato under protected conditions to escape the problems faced in soil-based production system.

Effects of Mycorrhiza inoculation and Seaweed Extracts on the Growth and Flowering of Zinnia elegans L.

“…Furthermore, confirmation of this is the increased mycorrhiza root infection of zinnia when inoculated with mycorrhiza as shown in Figure 1. Additionally, improving vegetative growth, such as; plant length, leave number, number of branches, chlorophyll intensity, vegetative fresh weight, vegetative dry weight vegetative dry matter percentage, were significant influences with mycorrhiza inoculation as compared to control, due to the possibility that absorbed nitrogen and leaf carbohydrates could result in the production of proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, alkaloids, and amides [18,19]. These metabolites are involved in the building up of new tissues and are related to several metabolic steps [20].…”

Utilising crop residues as hydroponic media for sustainable food production system

“…Vermicompost and growing media combined provided farmers all over the world with a conveniently available solution and ideal growing conditions. Overall, problems with conventional soil-based tomato cultivation were avoided by using a media blend of cocopeat and vermicompost (70:30) to improve tomato quality and yield in polybags [8] . An experiment on the topic of "Use of Coco peat for soilless cultivation of tomato" was conducted by NK Malviya et al, 2020.…”

Crop Hydroponics, Phyto-hydroponics, Crop Production, and Factors Affecting Soilless Culture

“…Growth of F1 hybrid tomato cv. Delgado in gunny bags containing perlite, rockwool, or coconut fiber with a supply of diverse nutrient solution through a drip channel in a polyhouse showed that the maximum yield of F1 hybrid tomato cultivar was obtained in coconut fiber and the best fruit quality was found in perlite growing media . The substrate or growing media determines the water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency, and yield of the crop .…”

“…Delgado in gunny bags containing perlite, rockwool, or coconut fiber with a supply of diverse nutrient solution through a drip channel in a polyhouse showed that the maximum yield of F1 hybrid tomato cultivar was obtained in coconut fiber and the best fruit quality was found in perlite growing media. 107 The substrate or growing media determines the water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency, and yield of the crop. 108 Successful cultivation of vegetables and ornamental plants in hydroponic systems using different substrates and nutrient solutions have been reported: for example, carrot in rockwool blocks containing vermiculite with a supply of nutrient solutions through subsurface irrigation in a greenhouse, 109 watermelon grown in aeroponics by NFT, 110 lettuce raised in polystyrene foam + pots with discharge of three nutrient solutions through a floating system in a greenhouse, 111 ginger in pots supplemented coir dust and burnt paddy husk in different proportions with MARDI nutrient solution through irrigation channels in a side-netted rain shelter, 112 green beans in pots supplemented with peat, perlite, and sand with a supply of nutrient solution through subsurface irrigation, 113 broccoli grown in rockwool with supply of Hoagland nutrient solution in a multitunnel greenhouse, 114 kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var.…”