THE EFFECTS OF CELL VOLUME AND PRODUCTION PERIODS ON PROFITABILITY OF WATERMELON TRANSPLANTS PRODUCTION

Abstract

In the modern watermelon production, transplants production takes a share from 17 to 27% of total material costs. Practical experiences in Croatian production show that watermelons are grown in various cell volumes and for different cultivation periods resulting in variable transplants quality. The aim of this paper was to determine profitability of watermelon transplants production considering various cell volumes and growing periods in existing Croatian market conditions. Biannual research was conducted in a plastic greenhouse of 1000 m2 situated in a continental part of Croatia. We selected cell volumes which give satisfactory transplants quality: 100 ml cells, 80 ml cells and 60 ml cells. Transplants production period lasted 30 and 45 days, period usual for conditions in Croatia. Transplants produced in 45 days were 4-6% more expensive than 30-days old ones, with 5-13% higher marketability. That implied better financial results for 45-days old transplants considering all cell volumes. The price of transplants produced in 30 days was from 0, 118 USD/piece (100 ml cells) to 0, 094 USD/piece (60 ml cells). The highest brut profit was gained by transplants in 60 ml volume cells (13.426 USD/1000 m2) and the lowest profit was obtained by 100 ml cells (10.312 USD/1000 m2). The same results were obtained from transplant production lasting 45 days ; the best financial result was obtained by 60 ml cells (19.998 USD/1000 m2), and the worst result by 100 ml cells (10.780 USD/1000 m2).