Substrate composition and container size are considered crucial for apple rootstock grown in a plug seedling system. This study investigated the effect of substrate material’s proportion and different container volumes on the growth of apple rootstock (M-9) plants propagated by tissue culture. In substrate composition, three different ratios of peat moss (PM): vermiculite (VL): perlite (PL) at 1:1:1 (S1), 1:2:3 (S2), 3:1:2 (S3) were used. For container size, plants were grown in 1000 mL (C1), 500 mL (C2), and 300 mL (C3) containers filled by 1:1:1 mixture of PM, VL and PL. In both cases, plants were treated eleven weeks in a green house. Our results demonstrate that the plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot fresh weight and root fresh weight of apple rootstock were significantly higher in substrate composition S3 compared with S1 composition. However, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and photosynthesis rate were unaffected by variation of substrate composition. Furthermore, rootstock grown in C1 container showed plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of nodes, root length, shoot and root’s fresh and dry weight were significantly higher than those grown in C2 and C3 volume containers. The chlorophyll content and transpiration rate were not significantly affected by the different container volumes. These results suggest that the substrate ratio 3:1:2 of PM:VL:PL and container size 1000 mL were more favorable than other treatments for initial growth and development of the tissue culture propagated apple rootstock plants.
The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of drip irrigation volume on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in a greenhouse using perlite medium. Plants were treated by three different irrigation treatment I 0 , I 25 , and I 50 (where irrigation volume of I 25 and I 50 was 25% and 50% higher than I 0 , having limited or no leaching). Growth characteristics of plants, yield and water use efficiency were measured. The result showed that plant height, leaf length and leaf width were lowest in the I 0 treated plants. However, these parameters were not statistically significant differences between the plants that were grown in the I 25 and I 50 treatment. Soluble solids content, acidity and dry matter of 111th, 132nd, and 143rd days harvested tomato were higher in the plants irrigated with lowest volume (I 0 ) than the higher volume (I 25 or I 50 ). In addition, water content was lower in the 111th and 132nd days of harvested tomatoes from the I 0 treatment. The number of big-size tomatoes (>180 g) was significantly higher in the I 25 irrigated plants. There was no significant difference in the total number of harvested fruits among the treatments. The average fruit weight and total yield of harvested tomatoes were lowest in the I 0 treated plants. The water consumption of tomato was not significantly different amongst the treatments but water use efficiency was lowest in the I 0 treatment. Principal component analysis revealed that total soluble solid and acidity of tomato showed a positive correlation between each other. These results suggest that I 25 was the optimum irrigation treatment for tomato based on its measured growth characteristics, yield and water use efficiency.
To investigate the effect of light sources on the growth and photosynthesis of the dwarf apple rootstock M.9 for the production of standard seedlings, the plants were cultivated in a controlled environment for 6 weeks. The sources of light are six treatments [Red (R), Blue (B), White (W), RBUV (R7B3 containing UV-A), RBW (R3B1W1), SMF (high pressure sodium + metal halide + fluorescent lamp) under 154µmol•m -2 •s -1 . Growth characteristics of apple seedlings varied depending on artificial light source at 3 weeks and 6 weeks. The plant height of apple seedling was high in the R, RBUV, RBW, and SMF light sources at 3 weeks, and in the R light at 6 weeks. There was no significant difference on stem diameter among the treatments at 3 weeks, but showed high in RBUV and RBW light at 6 weeks. Leaf number was the highest in RBUV light at 3 and 6 weeks. The chlorophyll content (SPAD value) was high in the B and RBUV light at 3 weeks, but it was not significant at 6 weeks. The growth rate to height of the R light (1.12mm/day) was the highest among the treatments, followed by RBUV, RBW, SMF, W and then B. Leaf area was the highest in RBUV and RBW lowest in B. Specific leaf area was high in W and fresh and dry weight were high in RBUV. The photosynthetic rate at 6 weeks was highest in the B and lowest in the R. Stomatal conductivity and transpiration rate were higher in the B and W compared to the other light sources. Therefore, we are considered that light sources for growth of dwarf apple rootstock M.9 seedlings are suitable the R, RBUV, and RBW light sources with a high mixing ratio of Red and Red +Blue.
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