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Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90093
Published by Bolan Society for Pure and Applied Biology 884
Research Article
Effect of growing media on rooting
response of tomato (Lycopersicum
esculentum L.) stem cuttings
Mehboob Alam1, Zawar Hussain1*, Izhar Ullah1, Samiullah1, Imran
Ahmad1, Muhammad Asif1, Muhammad Azhar Shah1, Syed Qaisar Ali
Shah1 and Johar Raza Khan2
1. Department of Horticulture, The University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan
2. Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, The University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan
*Corresponding author’s email: saidzawar61@gmail.com
Citation
Mehboob Alam, Zawar Hussain, Izhar Ullah, Samiullah, Imran Ahmad, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Azhar Shah,
Syed Qaisar Ali Shah and Johar Raza Khan. Effect of growing media on rooting response of tomato (Lycopersicum
esculentum L.) stem cuttings. Pure and Applied Biology. Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp884-896.
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90093
Received: 20/09/2019 Revised: 01/12/2019 Accepted: 16/12/2019 Online First: 01/01/2020
Abstract
A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of growıng media on root
development of stem cuttings of tomato hybrids. Axillary cuttings from various tomato hybrids
(Anna, Saandal, Salar and Sahil) were planted on different organic media (T1: Control (garden
soil + FYM + silt (1:1:1), silt + compost of spent mushroom (1:1), T2: Moss peat compost (1:1)
and T3: Pure peat moss). Pure peat moss had a highly significant effect (P<0.001) on plant
height, stem diameter, single leaf area, weight of fresh shoot, weight of dry shoot, length of root,
weight of fresh root, dry weight of root with better survival percentage and number of roots per
plant. Similarly maximum value of plant height, stem diameter, single leaf area, weight of fresh
shoot, weight of dry shoot, length of root, number of roots plant-1 , weight of fresh root, weight of
dry root and survival percentage were recorded in Sahil hybrid. Regarding interaction between
growing media and tomato hybrids, significant differences ((P<0.01) were observed in plant
height, shoot fresh weight, stem diameter and survival percentage. The results of this study
suggest that vegetative propagation of Sahil hybrids could be successfully achieved in pure peat
moss for better growth and rooting.
Keywords: Antioxidants; Growing media; Growth habit; Hybrids; Peat Moss
Introduction
The term growing media is amongst other
used to describe the material used in a
container to grow a plant. Various growing
media are available including peat moss,
spent mushroom compost etc. Peat moss is
dried sphagnum moss that has the capacity
to gained and release nutrients and moisture
to the growing media. It accelerates
vegetative growth of tomato, when used
with normal manure. Different media like
organic media (spent mushroom compost)
are less caustic and can cause less burning of
plants than inorganic fertilizers if used in
large quantity. Growing media is an
important factor that influences growth of
Alam et al.
885
herbaceous cuttings and quality of cuttings
[1]. [2] evaluated the effect of culture media
on growth indexes and absorption of some
nutrients in greenhouse tomato. Growing
media based on peat and peat with cocoas
derivatives were tested against mineral wool
for tomato. Results showed that plants
grown in the pure peat rooted more easily
than those grown in the peat-coco or mineral
wool but the total yield was similar for all
media [3]. [4] investıgated the use of
different growing media for zinnia and
suggested physical and chemical properties
of media, like, structure, texture, pH, as well
as, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as a
dominant factor for the growth and
development of plant. Advances in modern
agriculture allows today’s farmers to grow
in ways that are measurably more
sustainable. These practices help farmers
retain topsoil and reduce erosion, conserve
water in multiple ways, reduce emissions,
protect pollinators and protect natural
resources by using farmland more
efficiently sustainable agriculture is an
integrated system of plant and animal
production practices having a site-specific
application that will satisfy human food and
fiber needs, enhance environmental quality
and the natural resource base upon which
the agricultural economy depends, make the
most efficient use of non renewable
resources, sustain the economic viability of
farm operations and enhance the quality of
life for farmers and society as a whole [5].
Organic food is increasingly attracting the
interest of consumers, as it is perceived to be
healthier than the food produced by
conventional agriculture, and more
sustainable for the environment [6]. [7]
reported that the nutritional properties of
organic produce have never been inferior to
conventional produce. [8] reported that there
is no evidence for a difference in nutrient
quality between organically and
conventionally produced foodstuffs. In their
meta-analysis on the content of secondary
metabolites and vitamins in organically and
conventionally produced fruits and
vegetables. Organic production may be
considered a possible solution to the health
and environmental problems that results
from synthetic chemical inputs, such as
fertilizers and pesticides [9]. Many people
believe that organic products are healthier
than conventionally produced ones and that
they are produced in a more environmentally
compatible manner [10].Tomato
(Lycopersicon esculentum L.) One of an
important member of Solanaceae family
which is the second largest vegetable after
potato in vegetables production all over the
world. It is hot season crop and optimum
temperature required for its cultivation is 25-
29°C [11]. Tomato was originated in the
Andes mountain region of South America.
Tomato is an important source of minerals
and antioxidants such as carotenoids,
lycopene, vitamins C, E and phenolic
compounds [12]. Tomato plants are mainly
propagated by two ways i.e. through seed
and by cutting. Tomato hybrid is an
important source to get higher production
because tomato hybrid has high yield per
area used as cash crop. Tomato hybrids are
mostly indeterminate and give several
pickings throughout the growing season and
it is estimated that single plant of tomato
hybrid gives 10-12 kg yield plant-1 [13]. The
success of rooting of stem cuttings has been
attributed amongst other factors to the
rooting medium as well as the presence of
rooting hormone and its concentration [14-
17].Growing hybrid tomatoes are expensive
and poor farmers cannot afford buying
seeds/seedlings, therefore vegetative
propagation of tomato is one of an important
way to multiply the true to type tomato
hybrids. It is an easy, cheap and practical
experience to use tomatoes cuttings for
starting new tomato plants and to extent its
production for hybrid plants [18]. The
Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
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886
present study was performed to achieve the
best and most appropriate culture medium to
produce healthy, strong and homogeneous
transplant and reduction of production costs
and seed waste and to reach the best mixture
for rooting of greenhouse tomato hybrids.
Materials and methods
Experimental site and plant material
collection
The experiment was carried out at the
Agriculture Research Institute (ARI)
Tarnab, Peshawar, Pakistan in spring season
2016. Four growing media comprised of T1:
Silt+ garden soil+ FYM (1:1:1), T2: Spent
mushroom compost+ silt (1:1), peat moss
compost+ silt (1:1) and T3: Pure peat moss
were prepared. All ingredients were mixed
well in above proportion in equal volume.
After mixing in specific proportions each
medium was poured in the polythene bags of
size (6×9 inches) for planting tomato
cuttings.
Selection of auxiliary branch cuttings
The auxillary branches of size (4-5 inches)
with stem diameter (0.22 cm) at three leaves
stage were randomly selected from various
hybrids of tomato including Anna, Saandal,
Salar and Sahil. Healthy branches were
selected and cutted from the stem using
pruning shear. One cutting per bag was
planted in the selected medium. Each
medium contain 32 cuttings replicated three
times, while the whole experiment
comprised of 384 cuttings that were
transplanted to polythene bags.
Physico-Chemical analysis of soil
Once the media was prepared in specific
proportion, the physico-chemical analysis of
each growing media was performed in the
Soil Science division at ARI, Tarnab
Peshawar. Results of the physico-chemical
analysis of the growing media are given in
(Table 1).
Data collection
The following growth attributes were
studied during the experiment.
Plant height (cm)
Five plants were selected randomly from
each experimental unit and its height from
base to tip was measured with measuring
tape.
Stem diameter (mm)
Five plants were selected randomly from
each experimental unit and their diameter
was calculated using digital vernier caliper
(Kincrome, K2313) and then its average was
find out.
Single leaf area (cm2)
In each treatment and in each replication
three leaves (bottom, middle and top) of five
plants were selected randomly for single leaf
area by using leaf area meter (CID, Inc. CI-
202) and then its averaged was find out.
Shoot fresh weight (g)
To determine the shoot fresh weight, the
shoot portion of the plant was placed on
electric balance (Citizen, CY 510C) and its
average was calculated.
Shoot dry weight (g)
After taking shoot fresh weight, they were
kept in oven at 70 0C for 24 hour to dry out.
Using electric balance (Citizen, CY 510C)
dry weight was determined.
Length of root (cm)
Roots were separated from shoot with the
help of scissor and length of root was
calculated using measuring tape and its
average was determined.
Number of roots plant-1
Number of roots plant-1 were measured by
countıng number of roots per plant manually
and their average were calculated.
Weight of fresh root (g)
Fresh root weight of randomly selected
plants ın each replıcatıon were measured
with the help of electric balance (Citizen,
CY 510C) and their means were calculated.
Root dry weight (g)
After taking root fresh weight, they were
kept in oven 70 0C for 16 hour to dry out
and then collected from the oven. Using
Alam et al.
887
electric balance (Citizen, CY 510C) dry
weight was determined.
Survival Percentage
Survival percentage was calculated by using
following formula
Statistical Analysis
Analysis of variance was calculated using
statistical software Statistix version 8.1,
when F-value was sıgnifıcant. Means values
were compared by usıng LSD test at 5%
level of significance [19].
Results and discussion
Plant height (cm)
The analysis of variance revealed highly
significant differences among the treatments
and their interaction (Table 2). The highest
value of plant height (28.18cm) was
recorded in cutting planted in pure peat
moss medium, while lowest value of plant
height (17.21 cm) was observed in control
(garden soil + FYM + silt) medium.
Regarding tomato hybrid, Sahil showed
maximum plant height (23.35 cm), whereas
minimum plant height (20.67cm), (Figure
1).The interaction between growing media
and hybrids revealed that maximum value of
plant height (26.78) was observed in Sahil
tomato hybrid when their cutting were
planted in pure peat moss medium as
compared to plant height of Anna hybrid
cuttings grown in control medium (garden
soil + FYM + silt) (Fıgure 2). The peat moss
media is the rich source of the nitrogen,
potassium and organic matter which
contribute positively in plant height. [20]
reported significant difference for plant
height in peat moss media as compared to
the sheep manure media. Growth and
development of the plant depend on balance
rooting media that supply all essential
nutrients for attaining maximum height of
plant. [21] who observed significant
differences for plant height and showed that
Phosphorus plays a vital role in
photosynthesis and respiration. The present
studies are similar with the results obtained
by [20].
Stem diameter (mm)
It is obvious from (Table 2) that tomato
hybrid cuttings, growing media and their
interaction significantly influenced stem
diameter. The highest value of stem
diameter (0.65 mm) was recorded in cutting
planted in pure peat moss medium, while
lowest value of stem diameter (0.47mm)
was observed in control (garden soil + FYM
+ silt) medium. Regarding tomato hybrid,
Sahil showed maximum stem diameter (0.58
mm), whereas minimum stem diameter
(0.51 mm) was recorded in Anna hybrid
(Figure 1). Regarding interaction of stem
diameter between growing media and
hybrids, maximum shoot diameter (0.67mm)
was observed for Sahil hybrid grown on
pure peat moss, while minimum shoot
diameter (0.36 cm) was observed for Anna
hybrid grown on control medium (garden
soil+ FYM + silt) (Figure 2). The
availability of nutrients in growing substrate
greatly affects the vegetative growth. [22]
reported that peat moss media comprised of
important elements due to which elongation
of cell and rapid division of cell takes place.
As a result thickness of the stem occurs.
Stem with thickest diameter are stronger and
show resistance against different abiotic
stresses. The stem thickness of cutting plays
a vital role in enhancing the water and
nutrients transportation. It was reported that
peat moss medium increased the soil
porosity, infiltration rate, water retention
and aggregate stability and also not only
reducing the bulk density but also
maintained the temperature of the soil. Sahil
hybrid exhibited maximum stem diameter
and minimum stem diameter was found for
both Anna and Sandal. Maximum increase
in stem diameter revealed vigorous
vegetative plant growth. [13] investigated
that Sahil tomato hybrid grown from cutting
Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
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888
gives one or more extra crops as compared
to other hybrids.
Single leaf area (cm2)
The statistical analysis of data revealed that
single leaf area was significantly influenced
by hybrid cuttings and growing media,
whereas their interaction of hybrid cuttings
and growing media was found non-
significant (Table 2). The highest leaf area
(3.07 cm2) was recorded in cutting planted
in pure peat moss medium, while lowest
value of leaf area (1.97 cm2) ın control
medıum. Similarly maximum leaf area (2.62
cm2) was noticed in Sahil hybrid which was
statistically at par with Salar hybrid having
leaf area (2.59 cm2), while minimum leaf
area (2.32 cm2) and (2.31 cm2) were found
in Sandal and Anna, respectively (Fıgure 1).
Leaf area of the plant depends upon the
availability of the nutrients as reported by
[23]. Their results revealed that high leaf
area in top soil + peat moss (1:1) media
might be due to the ability of the plant to
retain nutrients and water for translocation
to shoot system. [24] observed larger leaf
area in that media where all three nutrients
such as N, P and K are present. [25]
recorded that nitrogen increase leaf area and
vegetative growth due to the increase of cell
size and leaf cell number. Similarly
phosphorus is one of the main components
of chlorophyll and protoplasm. It converts
photosynthetic into phospholipids as a result
vegetative growth increased adequately. [26]
found that cutting of tomato hybrids showed
maximum vegetative growth for leaf area
due to high content of auxin.
Shoot fresh weight (g)
The data for shoot fresh weight showed that
shoot fresh weight was significantly
influenced by hybrid cuttings, growing
media and their interaction (Table 2). The
highest shoot fresh weight (6.61 g) was
observed in plants grown in pure peat moss
and lowest (4.32 g) shoot fresh weight was
noticed in plants grown in control treatment.
Regarding tomato hybrid, Sahil showed
maximum shoot fresh weight (5.88 g),
whereas minimum shoot fresh weight (5.00
g) was recorded in Anna hybrid (Figure 1).
Similarly maximum shoot fresh weight (7.04
g) was noted in pure peat moss when Sahil
hybrid was grown on it and minimum (3.76
g) were noted in cutting of Sandal grown in
control medium (garden soil + FYM + silt)
(Figure 2). [27] observed that peat moss
media gave highest shoot fresh weight as
compared to other media which mıght be
due to the fact that peat moss growing media
provide sufficient amount of nutrients and
well balanced minerals. It has also been
reported that peat moss media improved the
vegetative growth parameter of the plant
including plant height, shoot fresh weight
and dry weight. Similar finding was reported
by [28] that vermicompost significantly
increased the fresh weight of tomato shoot.
[29] recorded variability in shoot fresh
weight in tomato for hybrid productions.
[30] studied that tomato hybrids contain
different type of regulatory hormones which
stimulate the shoot fresh weight and that
hormones plays a vital role in cell division,
cell elongation, early differentiation of
xylem and phloem tissues and initiation of
cambium in tomato
Dry shoot weight (g)
Dry shoot weight of tomato significantly
influenced by hybrid cutting and growing
media, whereas the interaction of hybrid
cuttings and growing media had non-
significant influence on dry shoot weight of
tomato (Table 2). The highest value of dry
shoot (0.79 g) was recorded in cutting
planted in pure peat moss medium, while
lowest value of dry weight (0.41 g) was
observed in control (garden soil + FYM +
silt) medium. Regarding tomato hybrid,
Sahil showed maximum shoot dry weight
(1.03 g), whereas minimum shoot dry
weight (0.25 g) was recorded in Anna hybrid
(Figure 1). [31] observed highest shoot dry
Alam et al.
889
weight in peat moss media, which may be
due to the reason that peat moss medium is
the rich source of all the basic nutrient i.e.
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which
helps in increasing the fertility of the
growing media. They also stated that shoot
dry weight was totally dependent on the
vegetative growth of the plants. [32]
observed that tomato plant produces certain
type of hormones which regulates the cell
elongation, cell division as well as promote
vegetative growth.
Root length (cm)
The analysis of data showed that root length
was significantly influenced by hybrid
cutting and growing media, whereas their
interaction had no significant influence on
root length of tomato (Table 2). Among the
different growing media, longer root length
was observed for pure peat moss, while
minimum root length (12.25cm) was noticed
in control medium (garden soil + FYM +
silt). Regarding hybrids, maximum root
length (15.05 cm) was observed for Sahil
tomato hybrid, while minimum root length
(10.75 cm) was recorded for Anna tomato
hybrid (Figure 1). [33] studied the effect of
various growing media on the geranium
cuttings, who observed significant
differences for root length in different
media. Their results revealed that peat moss
medıum gave the highest root length for
geranium cutting, whereas the garden soil
had lowest length of root (3.7cm). It was
noted that peat moss media had almost
double root length as compared to garden
soil. They also observed that peat moss
media having longest root length due to their
efficiency of high uptake of nutrients and
water holding capacity compared to garden
soil. [34] reported that, the downward
movement of water and nutrients is one of
the best performances of silt. Length of the
root is increased because root absorbs water
and nutrient in sufficient quantity. [13]
reported that Sahil hybrid had a significant
effect on root length as compared to Sandal
and Salar due to acceleration of endogenous
hormone like auxin. Numbers of roots
plant-1
It is obvious from data presented in (Table
2) that number of roots plant-1 were
significantly influenced by growing media
and hybrids cutting, while their interaction
was found non-significant. Maximum
numbers of roots plant-1 (20.00) were noted
in pure peat moss compared to number of
roots plant-1 (14.92) in control treatment.
Among the different tomato hybrids,
maximum number of roots plant-1 (20.17)
was recorded for Sahil hybrid and minimum
number of roots plant-1 (16.42) observed for
Anna hybrid (Figure 1). Significant
differences were found for number of roots
plant-1 by [34]. Numbers of roots plant-1
depend on plant height and vegetative
growth of the plant. Number of roots plant-1
increased the water holding capacity,
aeration and nutrients uptake for the plants.
[35] observed highly significant variations
for number of roots plant-1 among the
hybrids at different media. Peat moss media
contains essential nutrients which are readily
available to the plant and acts as a soil
conditioners to hold water. Peat moss
growing media is the rich source of
magnesium and potassium which enhances
the growth and development of the plant.
Maximum number of root cutting-1 might be
due to availability of fundamental nutrient
provided by peat moss medium. The present
studies are in line with [36] who also
observed significant differences among the
media. Among the tomato hybrid Sahil
showed maximum response to produced
highest number of roots as compared to
other hybrid through cuttings because it has
capability of early root formation, resistance
against diseases and pest [13].
Root fresh weight (g)
Different growing media and hybrids cutting
significantly affected root fresh weight,
Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
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890
while their interaction for leaf area was
found non-significant (Table 2). The data for
growing media showed that maximum root
fresh weight (3.03g) of tomato was recorded
in pure peat moss media. While minimum
root fresh weight (1.73g) was observed in
control treatment. Regarding hybrids, Sahid
had maximum root fresh weight (2.67g) as
compared to other hybrids (2.32, 2.18 and
1.94) (Figure 1). Root fresh weight revealed
significant differences among tomato
hybrids and growing media. Auxiliary
branches depend upon the availability of
nutrients in the media, while media should
be free from pathogen, weeds, insect pest
and nematodes. Significant variations were
observed for root fresh weight by [34]. [37]
observed that organic matter of the media
had profound effects on its biological,
physical and chemical properties. [38]
reported that longer root penetrate deeply
and have the ability to absorb high amount
of water and nutrients as a result heavier
weight of fresh root was recorded. It was
also reported that adequate aeration and
drainage was obtained through fine sand
medium, which lead to increase porosity and
better initiation of roots. [39] also reported
that growing media had a significant effect
on the growth of the cutting. [40]
investigated that various media for growing,
generate new roots and to promote root
formation in tomato cloning through
cuttings, the important thing is to activate
plant hormone like IAA which plays a vital
role in the formation of adventitious roots in
tomato cuttings.
Root dry weight (g)
It is obvious from (Table 2) that tomato
hybrids and different growing media
significantly influenced the dry root weight
of tomato plant, whereas their interaction
was found non-significant for root dry
weight. Among the different growing media,
maximum dry root weight (0.42 g) was
recorded in pure peat moss, while lowest dry
root weight (0.28 g) was resulted in control
treatment. Similarly hybrids, highest dry
root weight (0.40 g) was recorded for Sahil
hybrid which was at par with root dry
weight of Sandal (0.36), while minimum dry
root weight (0.27 g) were observed for Anna
hybrid. Root dry weight of tomato cuttings
depend upon the vegetative growth of
tomato plants. Among all organic media,
peat moss media showed maximum root dry
weight. Similar results were also reported by
[34] for (Ficus binnendijkii) root dry weight.
Table 1. Physico-chemical characterization of the growing media used for growing tomato
cuttings
Growing media
pH
Organic matter (%)
N (%)
P (%)
K (%)
Control1
7.5
5.28
0.13
0.004
0.037
MCS2
7.3
4.9
0.09
0.005
0.006
PMS3
6.5
6.01
0.51
0.0032
0.115
PPS4
6.1
7.65
0.76
0.0045
0.135
1Control: Garden soil+ silt+ FYM; 2MCS: Mushroom compost +silt; 3PMS: Peat moss +silt; 4PPS: Pure peat moss
Alam et al.
891
Table 2. Mean Square value of growth and quality characteristics of tomato as influenced by different growing media and
tomato hybrids
SOV
DF
Mean Square (MS)
PH
SP
SLA
FSW
SDW
LOR
NORPP
RFW
RDW
SP
Rep
2
3.711ns
0.004ns
0.051ns
0.143ns
0.024ns
4.673ns
19.75ns
0.282ns
0.006ns
18.396ns
Media
(M)
3
266.7***
0.082***
2.543***
11.38***
0.297***
10.46**
62.389***
3.541***
0.039***
343.8***
Hybrids
(H)
3
14.678***
0.011***
0.349***
2.004***
1.378***
44.98***
28.833**
1.108***
0.034***
367.81***
M×H
9
13.507***
0.007***
0.101ns
0.319ns
0.065***
2.771ns
19.704ns
0.188ns
0.014ns
64.565***
Error
30
3.958
0.002
0.119
0.065
0.015
2.43
14.15
0.175
0.009
19.045
Total
47
PH: Plant height; SD: Shoot diameter; SLA: Single leaf area; FSW: Fresh shoot weight; SDW: Soot dry weight; LOR: Length of root; NORPP: Number of root
per plant; RFW: Root fresh weight, RDW: Root dry weight, and SP: Survival percentage,***:p≤0.0001; ***:p≤0.001; ns: Non-significant
Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
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892
(A)
Growing media
Control1 MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Plant height,Single leaf area and Fresh shoot weight
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Stem diameter and Dry shoot weight
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Plant height (cm)
Single leaf area (cm2)
Fresh shoot weight (g)
Stem diameter (mm)
Dry shoot weight (g)
(C)
Growing media
Control1 MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Root lenght,No. of roots plant-1 and Survival percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100
Root fresh weight and root dry weight
0
20
40
60
80
100
Root lenght (cm)
No. of roots plant-1
Survival percentage
Root fresh weight (g)
Root dry weight (g)
(B)
Hybrids
Anna Salar Saandal Sahil
Plant height,Single leaf area and fresh shoot weight
0
5
10
15
20
25
Stem diameter and Dry shoot weight
0
5
10
15
20
25
Plant height (cm)
Single leaf area (cm2)
Fresh shoot weight (g)
Stem diameter (mm)
Dry shoot weight (g)
(D)
Hybrids
Anna Salar Saandal Sahil
Root lenght, No.of roots plant-1 and Survival percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100
Root fresh weight and Root dry weight
0
20
40
60
80
100
Root lenght (cm)
No. of roots plant
Survival percentage
Root fresh weight
Root dry weight (g)
1Control: Garden soil+ silt+ FYM; 2MCS: Mushroom compost +silt; 3PMS: Peat moss +silt; 4PPS: Pure peat moss
Figure 1. Growth and quality attributes of tomato as influenced by various hybrids (A, C)
and growing media (B, D)
Alam et al.
893
(A)
Growing media
Control MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Plant height (cm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Salaar
Sandal
Sahil
Anna
(D)
Growing media
Control MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Survival percentage
0
20
40
60
80
100
Anna
Salaar
Sahil
Sandal
(B)
Growing media
Control MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Shoot diameter (mm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Anna
Salaar
Sahil
Sandal
(C)
Growing media
Control MCS2 PMS3 PPS4
Shoot fresh weight (g)
0
2
4
6
8
Anna
Salaar
Sahil
Sandal
1Control: Garden soil+ silt+ FYM; 2MCS: Mushroom compost +silt; 3PMS: Peat moss +silt; 4PPS: Pure peat moss
Figure 2. Plant height (A), Shoot diameter (B), Shoot fresh weight (C) and Survival
percentage (D) of tomato as influenced by interaction between tomato hybrids
and various growing media
Survival Percentage (cm)
The analysis of data revealed that survival
percentage for growing media, hybrids
cutting and their interaction was found
significant (Table 2).The highest survival
percentage was observed in pure peat moss
(87.83%) followed by survival percentage in
peat moss+silt (80.25%), while plants grown
on control treatment had lowest survival
percentage (75.17%). Regarding hybrids,
Sahil had maximum survival percentage
(88.25%) as compared to other hybrids
(80.33, 77.53 and 77.67%) (Figure 1). The
interaction between growing media and
tomato hybrids revealed that maximum
survival percentage (91.67%) was recorded
by Salar hybrid followed by Sahil hybrid
(90.33%) in peat moss, while the minimum
survival percentage was obtained by Saandal
hybrid (66.67%) in control treatment (Figure
2). Favorable environmental factors are
usually required for the survival of the plant;
Pure Appl. Biol., 9(1): 884-896, March, 2020
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90093
894
the most important factor required for the
survival and production is growing media. It
was concluded that more number of plants
survive in growing media, when
supplemented with peat moss medium in
comparison to those media having (Canal
silt + Garden soil). Peat moss growing
media is the rich source of organic matter
which is readily available for plant growth.
The highest survival percentage of cutting in
these media provide the better environment
(physical) and sufficient elements to the
cutting which are required to activate
biochemical and enzymatic processes. [40]
observed highly significant differences for
potting media, while studying the effect of
growing media on jojoba cuttings. They
observed high value of (76.80%) survival in
field (soil+ peat moss) followed by that of
(field soil +leaf mold) (75.00%). [41]
investigated the response of different
growing media on tomato hybrid and
reported that tomato hybrid produced more
roots per cutting with less mortality
percentage and diseased free plants
production.
Conclusion
It was concluded from the results of the
present experiment that amongst various
growing medium, tomato plants grown on
pure peat moss gave better vegetative
growth as compared to other growing media.
Sahil axillary cuttings showed good
performance amongst other tomato hybrids.
It could be recommended that pure peat
moss growing media should be used for
growing tomato hybrid cuttings and Sahil
tomato hybrid for better vegetative
propagation.
Authors’ contributions
Conceived and designed the experiments: M
Alam, Performed the experiments:
Samiullah, Analyzed the data: Z Hussain &
M Asif, Contributed materials/ analysis/
tools: I Ahmad, SQA Shah, MA Shah & JR
Khan, Wrote the paper:I Ullah & Z Hussain.
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