Evaluation of different trays and organic substrata in the production of seedlings of cherry-colored tomato

Abstract

The development of seedlings of cherry-colored Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) was evaluated produced in different trays of polystyrene and organic substrata in an experiment carried out in Mossoró (RN) from 15/01 to 07/02/07. The experimental design was a completely randomized blocks, in a factorial scheme 3 x 5. The first factor was three types of trays (B1 - 72, B2 - 128 and B3 - 200 cells) and the second, of five substrates (S1 - Soil; S2 - Soil + Manure bovine (1:1); S3 - Soil + Composed organic (11); S4 - Soil + Earthworm humus (1:1) and S5 - Soil +Manure bovine + Composed organic + Earthworm humus (1:1:1:1). The evaluatedappraised parameters were: germination percentage, index of emergency speed, height, diameter of the stem, number of leaves and dry matter. The quality of the seedlings of the cherry-colored tomato was influenced by the tray type, independent of the substratum type;, the trays with cells of larger volume showed to be better than the others in all the determinedappraised characteristics. Seedlings of better quality of cherry-colored tomato are obtained when produced in trays of 72 cells using a substrate consisting of soil and organic composed in the ratio of 1:1.