Natasha Thomsen

Munashe Mugwadi

Adiel .A. Tsuro

Lynette Moyo

Title: Seedling production

Sub tittle: Media preparations

Introduction

The production of good quality vegetable seedlings is essential for improving yields and
getting quality produce. In most advanced countries vegetable seedling production is
undertaken by specialized companies or as a specialized activity. In Zimbabwe, the vegetable
seedling production system is gradually changing from open field nurseries to production in
protected raised beds or seedling trays, and specialised seedling production industries are
taking off in some intensive vegetable growing areas.

Profitable vegetable production starts with good quality, healthy seedlings. Crops including
tomatoes, sweet pepper, lettuce and eggplant produce quality crops with the highest yield if
they are first sown in seedling trays and then transplanted into the field. However some crops
such as beans and sweet corn are best sown directly into the field. Seedling production is a
profitable enterprise if chosen for business, but has risks if poorly managed (Srinivasan R
(Ed.).2010). Seedlings are fragile and delicate therefore they need much attention and care.it
is advisable to grow seedlings in cell trays because seedlings are easily removed from the tray
for transplanting and the growth check to transplants from cell trays is minimal when planted
in the field compared to the use of other types of transplants. Use of transplants has a number
of advantages compared to direct seeding. The advantages include having a shorter growing
season and more efficient use of land, improved crop uniformity and more accurate
prediction of harvest date. Seedlings require controlled environmental conditions and other
factors such as pH, nutrition and desirable media (Li-ju Lin et al, 2015). The seedlings do not
require sunlight for germination and it is ideal to note that. For their effective growth they
need to be placed protective structures where temperatures can be controlled for example a
green house.

Media preparations are very important for seedling production. The ideal medium would be a
nontoxic nutritious and well-drained medium which has good nutrient and water retention
properties. In order to come up with all these desirable properties there is need to mix media
in proportions to come up with one medium.
Aims

1. To demonstrate safe and healthy production of vegetables at small scale level.

2. To produce healthy seedlings for marketing to vegetable producers.
3. To enhance knowledge on the stages of seedling growth and how to manage the
stages.

Materials and Methods

Materials

1. Three trays

2. Five soil samples: sand, vermiculite, pine bark, UZ red and cattle manure

3. Water

4. Mixing trays

5. Seeds

6. Watering can
Methods

1. Divided the each tray into two parts and gave it a name from A-F
2. Determined the ratios of the media to put in each of the trays that is A had
1vermiculite:1cattle manure:1sand,B had 2vermiculite:1cattle manure, C had 1vermiculite:1
cattle manure:1 sand, D had1 UZ red:1 cattle manure:1 sand, E had 1 sand:2 pine bark and
lastly F had 2 cattle manure:1 sand. 3. After thoroughly mixing the mixture we mixed with
water so that they would be wet.
3. After thoroughly mixing the mixture we mixed them with water so that they would be
wet.
4. Put the mixtures in the trays according to the labels.
5. Did small holes of about 5-7mm on each hole so that we will be able to grow the seeds.
6. In A and B, planted spinach and C-F, planted cabbage and covered and also watered.
7. After a week moved the emerged seedlings to the greenhouse and watered them every
day.

Results

Germination rate
Tray A B C D E F
Percentage% 60 76 80 70 65 90

Percentage of crops in each tray

Tray A B C D E F
Week1 60 76 80 70 56 90
Weeek2 60 78 76 70 65 78
Week3 50 60 76 70 65 60
Week4 43 56 40 50 45 40
Week5 20 20 15 17 12 10
Week6 0 0 0 0 0 0
Discussion

The seedlings were overwatered and this resulted in damping off of the seedling which was
suspected to have been caused by fungi (Fusarium spp and Phytophthora spp).Moisture levels
were to high that the type of fungi mentioned above infected the seedlings.

The germination percentage of the seedlings was relatively low due to a number of
unfavourable conditions for example lack of moisture. A dormant seed only contains about
10 – 15% moisture, so it must draw water from the medium that surrounds it. The moisture
levels are critical at this early stage, they must remain constant for the sprouting process to
continue and for the seedling to survive (Shankara,2015).Uneven moisture levels can
seriously delay sprouting of a seed and even a few minutes lack of moisture as a seedling will
kill it, as it has no method of storing water like a mature plant has. During the germination
process, a seed needs more moisture in the soil than when it has sprouted, so it is important
that the moisture levels as young seedlings emerge and mature do not decrease.

Another factor was temperature, germination will only occur in a specific range of maximum
and minimum temperatures for each variety. The temperatures being considered is medium
temperature, not the air temperature above the seed tray. Slightly cooler temperatures can
double or triple the time needed for germination. The temperatures of the medium where high
which resulted in a high transpiration rate than normal.

In addition air disturbed the emergence of the seeds, seed germination requires large amounts
of oxygen to activate the metabolic process of converting the stored nutrients into energy.
Oxygen that is dissolved in water and from the air contained in the soil is used. Medium
conditions were too wet, an anaerobic condition was present and some seeds were not able to
germinate due to lack of oxygen.

Furthermore, some seeds did not receive enough light for germination, hence did not
germinate. Most modern vegetable crops prefer light or are not affected by it, and are planted
shallowly to allow small amounts of light to filter through the soil.

The seeds were planted too deeply, this is the number one reason seeds failed to germinate
and grow properly. As a rule of thumb, seed should not be deeper than 3 times the diameter
of the seed(Srinivasan,2010). Specific planting times, depth and location recommendations.
Little plants only need a little bit of fertiliser for quick growth and persistence, there was no
any form of nutrient supplements which were added to the seedling therefore the growth rate
was low and the defence mechanism was leading to the death of the seedlings.

Conclusion

In order for seeds to germinate all conditions must be favourable, also seedlings are very
sensitive and they require much attention for them to grow. Any changes in the condition that
is temperature, moisture etc will affect the growth of seedlings. In the experiment done the
major cause of the failure of the seedlings was damping off. Growers are advised to maintain
favourable conditions for their seedlings that is temperature, moisture, oxygen and carbon
dioxide.
References

Srinivasan R (Ed.).2010.Safer tomato production methods: A field guide for soil fertility and
pest management, AVRDC-The World Vegetable Centre, Shanhua, Taiwan. AVRDC
Publication No.10740. 97 p.

Li-ju Lin, Gregory C. Luther, Peter Hanson.2015. Raising healthy tomato seedlings. AVRDC
Publication No. 15-795.

S.Shankara Hebbar. Advances in Quality Vegetable Seedling Production. Lecture Notes in

training program on “Tomato Cultivation” from 27 Oct to 6 Nov 2015. Division of Vegetable
Crops, ICAR-IIHR, Bangalore, India