Setting Up of a New Local and Ecological Substrate for Tomato Soil-Less Cultivation to Cope with Saline Soils

Abstract

Soilless culture is one of the alternative techniques to cope with saline soil. The objective of this study is to identify a new local substrate based on cactus fiber. Three mixtures of cactus fiber and coconut fiber substrates (M0, M1, M2, M3, and C) at a ratio of (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, and 0:1), respectively, were evaluated on round tomato cultivation under greenhouse. The mixtures had an organic matter content that exceeded 82%, a C/N ratio between 41.3% and 46%. The mixtures did not cause any phytotoxicity in lettuce and bean. The economic study showed that the use of M2 substrate was the most profitable.

Keywords

• cactus fiber
• coconut fiber
• salinity
• soilless culture
• substrate
• tomato