Evaluation of two sources of fertilization, in three solid substrates under the Hydroponics technique and its impact on tomatoes’ yield (Lycopersicun esculentum Mill) the Marglobe variety

Abstract

The research was conducted in Bernal Colonia, San Salvador, San Salvador Department, during the months of November 2014 to March 2015. Two sources of fertilization were evaluated in three solid substrates under the hydroponics technique and its impact on the performance of the Marglobe tomato variety. (Lycopersicun esculentumMill) For crop nutrition, nutrient solutions based on mineral salts were used. These solutions contained macro and micro elements, which are essential for plant development, compared to a witness fertilizer called Blaukorn® (known as blue granular fertilizer) In three substrates (cinder, coir and pumice) under the hydroponics technique in a total area of 40 m2 under greenhouse conditions. A simple, complete and random design was used using a 2x3 factorial arrangement with six treatments and five repetitions, an orthogonal contrasts test was applied with a degree of significance of 0.05. The evaluated indicators were: crop phenology (development stages), plant height ( meters), stem diameter (cm), number of flowers per bunch, number of fruit per bunch, fruit diameter (cm), fruit weight (g), Brix degree, hardness of the fruit (Lb / cm), and yield by plant. The indicators which presented significant values were: plant height, (mineral salts coir substrate (T3), average values of 2.38 m) number of flowers per cluster, (mineral salts, producing greater number of f. with an average equal to 73.20, and Blaukorn® with mean equal to 58.33), number of fruits per bunch, (Mineral salts and volcanic slag with average 5.73 units, Blaukorn® and coir with mean equal to 4.07 units) fruit diameter, (Coconut fiber produced larger diameter with an average equal to 5.86, followed by half of cinder and pumice 5.50 with a mean of 5.07), fruit weight, (Coconut fiber produced greater weight with an average equal to 106.29 followed by cinder with mean 96.36 and pumice with average 95.55) Brix degree, (Minerals produced more Brix degrees with mean equal to 5.18, followed by Blaukorn® with mean equal to 4.72) and yield per plant, the remaining had no significant values or output. For the economic analysis, a partial budget, net benefits and a marginal rate of return was made. It is concluded that a fertilizer based on raw materials (mineral salts) turned out to be the best in the substrate cinder yield per plant with a 59.80 average units, representing an average weight of 6.33 kg, followed by coir with 50.20 units and weighing 5.30 kg, and pumice with 45.70 units respectively. And Blauckorn® expressed it in cinders with 49.00 units in relation to other substrates respectively As for the number of fruit per plant the source mineral salts produced significant effects With 1.67 units more with respect to the source Blaukorn® and also in the brinx grade. The mineral salts source produced significant effects with 0.46 more units, with respect to the Blaukorn® source. It was determined that the phenology crop under greenhouse conditions showed that in a reduced space a higher production per unit by area and better quality in a ladder type of technique and out of the harvest season was obtained