PRODUÇÃO DE MUDAS DE TOMATE CV. SANTA CRUZ EM DIFERENTES SUBSTRATOS

The substrate used in the production of seedlings plays a key role in the initial development of the plant. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the production of tomato seedlings ( Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) with different substrates. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments (T1 - carbonized rice husk (CAC); T2 – Organic; T3 - carbonized rice husks + Earthworm casting in the ratio 1: 1;T4 - Earthworm casting; and T5 - germinate) and four replicates. Plant height, stem diameter, root length, root volume, root dry mass, shoot dry weight, total dry mass, leaf area, germination speed index, and developing quality index were analyzed . The type of substrate does affect the growth and quality of the tomato’s changes. Among the substrates, the best seedling performance was observed in substrate (T2).