Alterations in the physical and physico-chemical properties of a substrate based on composted sawdust and perlite with polycyclic tomato crops

Abstract

Vegetable crops grown continuously in greenhouse are vulnerable to phytosanitary problems or changes in the physicaland chemical conditions of the soil such as salinization. One alternative to minimize these problems is to growcrops without soil using different substrates. A mixture of perlite and composted willow sawdust has been used successfullywith tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill), but the behavior of this substrate when reused is unknown.Factorial trials with tomato pot crops cv. Topacio were developed, and in each experiment, water content at 10, 50 and100 cm, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity and exchangeable cations were determined. From a physical perspective,reuse of the substrate did not substantially modify the total available water and aeration was higher than thatconsidered as ideal. Reuse caused a light acidification and increased the C/N ratio with a loss of exchangeable cationcapacity for Ca2+ and Na+. This modification of the substrate did not affect the yield.