Mixtures design of Agave angustifolia Haw (Asparagales: Agavaceae) residue as a growth medium for tomato seedlings

Baldomero, Hortencio Zárate-Nicolás and Alberto, Masaguer Rodríguez and Esperanza, Loera-Alvarado and Ileana, Vera-Reyes and Fidel, Diego-Nava and Nancy, Alonso-Hernández and Carlos, Granados-Echegoyen (2021) Mixtures design of Agave angustifolia Haw (Asparagales: Agavaceae) residue as a growth medium for tomato seedlings. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 17 (4). pp. 542-548. ISSN 1991-637X

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Abstract

Tomato production under greenhouse conditions needs vigorous seedlings to reduce the loss of plants after the transplant. Different local substrates such as agave bagasse, pine bark and coconut fiber complemented with peat, expanded clay, vermiculite and pure peat for tomato seedlings production were tested. The seed germination, root ball compaction, height of the seedling, stem diameter, and total dry weight were quantified. The stem diameter observed in Agave - bagasse + peat + expanded - clay + vermiculite (30:60:5:5 v/v) (BMTAEV3), Agave - bagasse + pine - bark + peat + expanded - clay + vermiculite (30:30:30:5:5) (BMCPTAEV4), Agave - bagasse + peat + expanded - clay + vermiculite (50:30:10:10) (BMTAEV5), Sphagnum peat (SUNSHINE® 3) 100% (M3SC), and Agave - bagasse + peat + expanded - clay + vermiculite (40:40:10:10) (BMTAEV6) treatments were in acceptable parameter range to commercial use, but BMTAEV3, BMTAEV5, and BMTAEV6 treatments show better germination, root ball compaction, a bigger height and diameter, getting tomato seedlings with vigor to the transplant. The local substrata overcome the commercial growth medium parameters in seedlings evaluation. It is shown that mixtures of agave-bagasse with expanded clay, and vermiculite are a substrate alternative for tomato seedlings production, reducing the use of expensive and scarce material such as peat by up to between 40 and 60% (v/v).

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Oalibrary Press > Agricultural and Food Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 25 Feb 2023 08:12
Last Modified: 02 Jul 2024 12:41
URI: http://asian.go4publish.com/id/eprint/720

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