Effect of transplant water treatments on processing tomato establishment and development
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Date
2007
Authors
Zandstra, J.W.
Squire, R.C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus
Abstract
Background: Aside from starter fertilizers, other products are occasionally being used in the transplant water solution by processing tomato growers on the advise of agricultural input suppliers or consultants. Usually there is no data to support the claims made by these individuals. With the increasing value of the Canadian dollar, the economics of processing vegetable production in Southwestern Ontario is becoming more challenging. Producers need to be assured that crop inputs are providing a significant return on their investment.
Description
Results: When transplant weight was evaluated 3 weeks after transplanting, the lack of benefit of the additional materials included with the starter fertilizer were apparent (Table 2). With a few exceptions, any transplant water treatment which included 1% 9-18-9 resulted in plants which were significantly larger than treatments receiving water alone. Similarly, plants in treatments which included Remedy, Alpine EXP or Alpine Zinc singly or in combination without starter fertilizer did not significantly differ in size from plants receiving water alone. The same trend was apparent at 35 days after transplanting, but statistical significance was not found in all cases. At both timings, starter fertilizer alone produced plants with the greatest fresh weights.
Flowering appeared reduced in many of the treatments with products other than starter fertilizer alone, but data was not collected.
Keywords
tomato, lycopersicon esculentum, manure liquifier, fertilizer, starter fertilizer, sulfur, zinc, transplants, yield, processing, transplant size