Desenvolvimento vegetativo do tomateiro cultivado em diferentes volumes de substrato e frequências de irrigação em estufa.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the vegetative development of tomato plants under different substrate volumes and irrigation frequencies in greenhouse. The experiment was carried out in Campinas, Brazil, from May to October, 2005. The experimental design was a 3 x 2 factorial, in randomized blocks, with four replicates. It consisted of three substrate volumes (5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 L) and two irrigation frequencies (one and five times a day). The irrigation was applied by trickle irrigation system. The substrate was coconut fiber.Vegetative development was evaluated three times during the growth period. The five times a day frequency irrigation provided better development of plants (plant dry matter weight and leaf area index) in the most of the samplings. The tendency of greater leaf area index occurred when 10.0 L volume substrate was utilized. The effect of different substrate volume on plant dry matter weight made different with sampling dates.