Production of Antirrhinum majus seedlings on different substrates and containers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of type of substrate and expanded polystyrene trays on the production of snapdragon seedlings. The experiment was completely randomized with a 3 x 2 factorial design (substrates x number of tray cells) and four replications. ‘Baixa Sortida’ snapdragon seeds, commercial substrate A (rice husk + vermiculite), commercial substrate B (Sphagnum + torrefied rice straw + perlite), A+ B mixture (1:1) and expanded polystyrene trays with 72 and 128 cells were used. The characteristics evaluated were plant emer­gence rate, percentage of plant emergence at 14, 21, 28 and 35 days, number of leaves at 44 and 58 days after sowing, shoot height, root length and plant dry matter. The results showed that the substrates directly influenced the production of snapdragon seedlings. Seedling emergence and seedling development is favored by the mixture of the substrates A and B (1:1) as well as by the use of expanded polystyrene trays with 72 cells due to the higher volume available to the seedling.