Abstract

RANGEL LUCIO, José Antonio; CERVANTES ORTIZ, Francisco  and  GARCIA-RODRIGUEZ, José Guadalupe. Concentration of Steiner nutrient solution and growth substrate effects in tomato seed quality. Cienc. Tecnol. Agropecuaria [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.3, e2964.  Epub Oct 30, 2022. ISSN 0122-8706.  https://doi.org/10.21930/rcta.vol23_num3_art:2964.

The evaluation of seed quality allows to know the physical, physiological, genetic and sanitary state of the seed, as well as to predict the potential response to sowing and the first stages of plant growth. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of Steiner nutrient solution (normal and modified) and growth substrate on the physical and physiological quality of tomato seed. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse at the Tecnológico Nacional de México, Campus Roque, located in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, in the period March-July 2018. Two factors were used: complete Steiner nutrient solution (100 %, control) and two variants: diluted (-25 %, -50 %) and concentrated (+25 %, +50 %) and two substrates: red tezontle and coconut fiber. The harvest (or cutting) of bunches with fruit was carried out on five dates: 72, 86, 97, 108 and 120 days after transplanting (ddt), identified by the pink/red color of the fruit pericarp, from which the quality of the seed extracted was determined by weight of 100 seeds and standard germination percentage. The results showed significant effect (p ≤ 0.01) of the nutrient solution on seed weight from the third cut (97 ddt) and on standard germination at 108 and 120 ddt. While the substrate did so only at 97 ddt in both characteristics. Thus, the concentrated Steiner nutrient solution (+25 and +50 %) together with coconut fiber, promoted higher seed weight and increased the standard germination of tomato seed from 20 to 26 %. The quality of tomato seed improves with the rational handling of Steiner nutrient solution.

Keywords : Solanum lycopersicum; 100-seed weight; germination; growth substrates in hydroponics; plant nutrition.

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