Tomato plant growth as affected by horizontally unequal osmotic concentrations in rock-wool.

Abstract

Tomato plants, cv. Moneydor, were grown in rockwool in a split-root system with equal or different osmotic concentrations. Fruit yield was negatively correlated with the mean electrical conductivity (EC) of both parts of the system. In treatments with two different EC values in the root zone, root development was better in the part with the low EC, and water uptake was higher. Nutrient concentrations showed an increase in the part with the low EC when differences in EC between both parts were 4 mS/cm [4 mmho/cm] or more. A possible explanation is that solutes move through the roots from the part with high to the part with the low osmotic concentration. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)