EFFECT OF NUTRITIVE SOLUTIONS DURING SEEDING DEVELOPMENT OF HUSK TOMATO (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.)

Abstract

Frequently the mineral nutrition in husk tomato seedling production in Mexico is not practiced, or it is used in empiric way, without plan or not well executed, after that is translated in seedlings with low quality (heterogeneous, high and thin, early flowering, etc.) then they have establishment problems to the moment to be transplanted and they are not able to express its yield potential. The aim of this investigation was to determine the irrigation effect of the Universal nutritive solution Steiner in concentrations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 %, together with an additional treatment which the concentration in the solution was varied weekly (25, 50 and 75 %); as well as a solution of fertilizer Triple 18 ultrasoluble in concentration of 100 % and another where the concentration in the solution was varied weekly (25, 50 and 75 %) during the seedling development of husk tomato growing in containers under greenhouse conditions in Chapingo, Mexico. Three determinations on height, number of leaves, fresh and dry weight of seedling were carried out 15, 22 and 29 days after sowed (das), and one determination was made to the 29 das on stem diameter and nutrimental contained. The nutritive solutions affected the seedlings development to the 22 and 29 das. The content macronutrimental, except phosphorous, and micronutrimental, Fe, Mn and B, obtained with the nutritive solution Steiner to overcame the content obtained with the Triple 18 solution. The seedlings with better characteristics to transplant were obtained with the Steiner solution, in which was more convenient to use 50 % of the concentration or this solution whose concentration was varied weekly to save resources, nevertheless the Triple 18 solution can be a viable alternative.