Effects of Liquid Seaweed Fertilizer Usage on Yield and Nutrition in Grafted and Un-Grafted Tomatoes Cultivation

Abstract

Cultivation of more varieties in a shorter time period in a season in the greenhouse causes easy degradation of physical and fertility properties of the soils. In recent years, the use of commercial liquid fertilizers (LSF) has become widespread for earliness and variety diversity in the cultivation of greenhouses. In this study, the effects of liquid seaweed fertilizer (0, 200 ml 100 L-1 water and 400 ml 100 L-1 water) at different growth stages (seedling, flowering and fruit formation) and under control conditions (without treatment) on grafted and non-grafted tomatoes plants were investigated for yield and nutrient contents under greenhouse conditions. Generally, liquid seaweed fertilizer applications in different growth stages significantly increased in terms of plant growth and nutrient contents when compared with control. Plant fresh weight, dry weight (543 g, 108 g) and yield (5919 g) increased in the grafted variety, whereas the highest fruit weight (115.50 g) were obtained from un-grafted tomato variety Similar results were obtained in terms of plant nutrient content; the total nitrogen content in the varieties ranged from 3.28 to 4.62%, the phosphorus content from 0.12% to 0.34% and the potassium content from 1.56% to 4.45%. In conclusion, LSF applications at different growth stages positively affected yield and nutrient content; especially the best results were obtained from 400 ml 100 L-1 application in the seedling stage.

Keywords

• Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.
• Aschophyllum nodosum
• growth stages
• nutrient contents