Abstract

BALAGUERA, Helber Enrique; ALVAREZ-HERRERA, Javier Giovanni  and  RODRIGUEZ, Jorge Daniel. Effect of the water deficit on the transplant of tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Agron. colomb. [online]. 2008, vol.26, n.2, pp.246-255. ISSN 0120-9965.

Inducing the highest quantity of roots in tomato seedlings is fundamental at the post-seedling stage, since the appropriate absorption of water and nutrients for their later development depends upon this. The water stress can generate roots growth because the root should search water. In order to achieve this growth, the tomato seedling was placed under a water deficit. The design was totally randomized with 10 treatments and 5 replicates, the treatments consisted in application of 10 levels of water application (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 of evaporation measured in evaporimeter tank installed inside the greenhouse) during the 5 previous days to the transplant. After 40 days, seedlings were transplanted and during one month they were evaluated. Significant differences were not found among the dry weight of leaves, stems and roots. The different levels of water didn’t affect the fresh weight of leaves and stems, foliar area, distribution of dry biomass, root/shoot relationship and final plant height. Significant differences were obtained in the length and fresh weight of the root, in both cases the best treatment was the coefficient 1.6 of the evaporation. The level of water with smaller response was that of 0.2. The level of water of 1.6 of the evaporation generates seedlings with appropriate root systems.

Keywords : evaporation; irrigation; roots; long life; substrates.

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