New wood fibre substrates characterization and evaluation in hydroponic tomato culture

Summary

The FIBRALUR® wood fibre substrate has been successfully evaluated as substrate in tomato and melon culture. This material could replace the current hydroponic substrates like rockwool or perlite. The appearance of wood fibre bags for hydroponics culture deteriorates throughout crop cycles and it is a commercial disadvantage for farmers. In this work four new variants of wood fibre substrates that improve the disadvantage of original material have been evaluated and compared with coconut fibre and perlite. Experiment had been carried out for two tomato crop cycles in a greenhouse placed in Barasoain (Navarra). Seven substrates were used in a random block design. Measures of crop yield and quality as well as evaluation of substrates properties were carried out. Physical-chemical properties were determined at the beginning and at the end of each crop cycle. In the first cycle wood fibre substrates were significantly less productive than coconut fibre and significantly higher than perlite. No yield differences were obtained at the second cycle. With regard to substrates properties, an increase of water retention in wood fibre substrates and an increase of air volume in coconut fibre were observed throughout crop cycles.