Monday, November 13, 2006
105-3
Fresh Marketable Tomato Production System with Hairy Vetch-Mulch in Greenhouse.
Hajime Araki1, Masahiro C. Takahashi2, Yukari Hiragaki2, and Michiaki Ito2. (1) Field Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido Univ, Kita 11 Nishi 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0811, Japan, (2) Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata Univ, Ikarashi 2, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan
A cover crop is one of the biological tools for modification of soil properties, and the plant residue mulch of cover crops provides some advantages for soil. Fresh marketable tomatoes are usually grown in greenhouses to prevent fruit cracking by rain in Japan. More than 300 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizer has been applied in conventional tomato production. Because of the high nitrogen content in hairy vetch (Vicia villosa, HV), one of the legume cover crops, semi-forcing tomato production with HV mulch was conducted in greenhouse in Niigata, Japan, humid region in summer and snowcover in winter. HV seeds (50kg/ha) were sown in 20 cm-high rows without fertilizer in October 2002 and grown until next spring in greenhouse. HV plants were mowed on April 10 in 2003, and the plant residue was kept on the rows. Tomato seedlings, ‘Momotaro T93’, were planted in HV mulch rows (no-tilled) and in bare rows (tilled) with 3 levels of nitrogen fertilizer, 0 kg, 150 kg (organically grown) and 300 kg (conventional) /ha. Soil temperature at 15 cm depth in the HV row was 1-2 centigrade lower than in the bare row in May and June. Low pF continued in HV rows during tomato production. High nitrate nitrogen content in the soil near the ground surface was maintained for 3 months in the HV rows. Nitrate content in leaf petiole near growing fruit was maintained over 2,000 ppm, appropriate concentration for vegetative growth, for 100 days in the HV rows with 150 and 300 kg-N. Total marketable tomato yield in HV rows with 150 kg-N showed about 40 t/ha, a desirable yield in semi-forcing production, the same as in bare rows with 300 kg-N. These results indicated HV was a useful cover crop for soil water conservation and reduction nitrogen fertilizer in tomato production in greenhouse.
Handout (.pdf format, 833.0 kb)