EFFECT OF IRRIGATION WITH SALINE WATER AND CLOVER-BASED ORGANIC AMENDMENT IN GROWING MEDIUM FOR ORGANIC TOMATO TRANSPLANTS PRODUCTION

Abstract

The selection of proper growing medium is one of the most important goal in nursery plants production. Peat, perlite and vermiculite are still the most popular substrates, peat in particular, for those working in the sector. This determined an intensive exploitation of peatlands that are limited resources. Therefore, during the last years, the peat is decreasing in quality and increasing in prices because the progressive depletion of source of supply. The aim of this work has been to study new materials able to replace totally or in part peat, perlite and vermiculite as growing media. Attention has been focused on organic materials that are easily available and at low cost: clover biomass. The evaluation of the agronomic performance of these materials (peat, perlite, vermiculite, fermented and non-fermented clover) was supported by measuring their main physical and chemical properties. The ability of fermented clover produced by anaerobic fermentation of a mixture of clover and water to replace peat/perlite/vermiculite as growing media was validated through nursery trials for the transplants production of tomato following the traditional nursery practices. On the other hand, there is an urgent need to conserve and protect fresh water and to use the water of lower quality for irrigation. Therefore, the potential using of saline water with different concentrations to irrigate tomato transplants growing in the suggested clover-based organic amendment was evaluated. The results indicate that the ability of such materials, fermented clover, to replace the traditional media is little influenced by their studied different characteristics. The study findings indicate that fermented clover guarantee better conditions at which tomato transplant can develop root systems without any release of phytotoxicity factors that inhibit germination also for more sensitive species as shown by the tested Lepidium sativum, and mine also the vitality of the plants.