Abstract

Methyl bromide has been accepted for sterilising tobacco and vegetable seedbeds in Chile. However, as a toxic sterilising agent it will not be available in a near future. Thus, other alternative methods are being evaluated for producing transplants including floating. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility using different substrates available to local farmers and transplants performance in the field. The trial was carried out under cold greenhouse conditions at South central Chile (35 degrees 26'SL, 71 degrees 85'WL) during winter and spring seasons. Pelleted seeds of cv. Burley tobacco were sown in polystyrene trays filled with a commercial substrate mix (Speedling), pine wood bark, peat, pine wood bark:perlite (1:1), pine wood bark: vermiculite (1:1), pine wood bark: perlite: vermiculite (2:1:1), peat : perlite (1:1), peat: vermiculite (1:1) and peat: perlite:vermiculite (2:1:1). The total fresh weight transplants using pine wood bark : vermiculite (1:1) was higher (5.88 g) than those grown with pear mixtures due to a higher leaf fresh weight (4.21 g).