ISHS Acta Horticulturae 614: VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation
TOMATO ROOT GROWTH IN RELATION TO DRIPPER POSITION IN SUBSTRATE CULTIVATION |
| Authors: | C. Leonardi, G. Vasquez, F. Giuffrida |
| Keywords: | irrigation, dripper position, root distribution, expanded clay, coconut fibre |
| Abstract:
Drip irrigation due to its efficiency is practically the most common method of watering plants grown on substrate. Despite this advantage, a small substrate root volume per plant under drip irrigation due to a non uniform distribution of nutrient solution could cause plant stress. In relation to this, the objectives of this investigation were to examine, at the beginning of fruit setting of tomatoes grown on two substrates (coconut fibre and expanded clay), the effects of different dripper position (close to plant stem or along the row). Root density along the horizontal profile varied in relation to dripper position and substrate. Most roots occurred in the area below the dripper; this was observed particularly in the upper layer of the substrate (3.5 cm), while in the deeper substrate profiles (7-14 cm) the differences were less appreciable. The different pattern of root distribution did not influence the mean root density which showed slight variations due to dripper position, but was significantly higher in the expanded clay compared to coconut fibre. These results only partially explained the variation observed in the considered plant characteristics which were affected more by substrate than by dripper positions and hence nutrient solution distribution. | |
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