Effects Of Different Substrates On Yield And Quality Of Tomato Cultivated In Plant Factory

Agricultural environmental pollution has become an important factor to hinder the sustainable development of agriculture and the impact on human health. The development of clean, safe, high-quality, nutritious green vegetable production is the need of social and economic development, but also to safeguard human health, environmental protection, development of sustainable agriculture. The rock wool production of tomato plants are large investment, high costs and environmental pollution and so on in plant factory. And post-harvest tomato plant residue requires a lot of manpower, material and financial resources, etc., not only increasing the cost of production, reducing economic efficiency, but also causing environmental pollution.Compost made from tomato residue produced by high temperature aerobic fermentation processing in this experiment, and researched the effects of different substrates on yield and quality of tomato was conducted in plant factory, thus providing a theoretical basis for its application. The main results were as follows:1. Compost (CM) made from tomato plant residue of plant factory was measured the fermentation temperature and physical and chemical properties. The results were as follows: the fermentation highest temperature was73.0℃, the lowest temperature was14.5℃, and average temperature was39.3℃. The pH values of CM was about5.20, while the EC value was higher than20dS-m-1. The compost contained a high concentration of soluble ions, wherein content of K+was more than1%.The effects of CM and EC values on germination rate of Komatsu vegetable was conducted in plant factory. The results were as follows:germination rate of Komatsu vegetable was more than90%germinated in Tanemaki substrate, while germination rate of Komatsu vegetables was close to0germinated in CM as its high EC value. In addition, germination rate of Komatsu vegetable reached92.0%in the0dS-m-1and germination rate was up to94.0%when the EC value was1.2dS-m-1; germination rate of Komatsu vegetable was downward trend with EC values rise, and the germination rate dropped to10.0%when EC values was higher than6.0dS-m-1, and the germination rate was less than5.0%when EC values was higher than8.0dS·m-1. Therefore, water should be used to rinse CM for reducing its EC values before experiment. 2. The effects of rockwool(RW), compost (CM)(2-4mm), rice husk(RH), rubble(RB) as substrates on yield and quality of tomato was conducted in plant factory. The results were as follows:Tomato plants cultivated in RW were growing well and high yield. Aeration porosity and Water-holding porosity of CM were better, and contained a lot of soluble ions. Tomato plants cultivated in CM were relatively poor, low-yield, small-fruit, small-biomass due to the presence of phytotoxic substances in CM, however the quality of tomato fruits were better than others.3. The effects of rockwool(RW), compost (CM)(<2mm), rice husk(RH), mixture of compost with rice husk in volumetric proportion of1:2(CM+RH1:2), mixture of compost with rice husk in volumetric proportion of2:1(CM+RH2:1), as substrates on yield and quality of tomato was conducted in plant factory. The results were as follows:physical and chemical properties of CM+RH1:2were better, and tomato yield cultivated in it was significantly higher than the other substrates, and the quality was best, and the content of brix index and organic acids and DW of fruits were highest, and the overall performance was best. Therefore, CM+RH1:2was more appropriate as tomato cultivation subatrate in the plant factory.In summary, compost made from tomato residue was rich in nutrients, but water should be used to rinse compost before experiment as its higher EC value. And mixture of compost with rice husk in appropriate proportion can be used to improve tomato yield and quality.