Some greenhouse cucumber growers practice two plantings per year ? late winter and summer. One of our clients, Mr. Daniel from the Powisle region on the border of Malopolskie and |więtokrzyskie provinces, due to limited manpower and time decided to prepare summer seedlings using a 50 mm CERES paperpot with compatible Bachmann 65403 multiplats. Cucumbers of the Haker F1 variety were sown on June 29. We visited Mr. Daniel’s farm on July 2. The cucumber seedlings looked very good: the emergence was very even, the plants strong and with strong vigor.
Photo. 1. Greenhouse cucumber seedlings in paper pot 50 mm CERES with multiplat on the third day after sowing.
The even emergence and very good condition of the plants is due to Mr. Daniel, who prepared a professional multiplier combined with paperpot sowing technology. The coconut substrate and the paper pot standing in the multiplier evenly blown by the air, provide ideal conditions for emergence and rooting, prevent clumping in the root ball and limit the development of pathogens.
On the occasion of the visit, Mr. Daniel decided to use the samples of Sphera and Triash preparations prepared for him by the Italian manufacturer LG Italia, distributed exclusively by CERES in the country. The application was carried out by Mr. Daniel, according to the art of seedling production and our guidelines. After two weeks, we received a photo report and feedback on our products from the Producer. Paper sweats turned out to be a very good solution reducing labor. In addition, the plants obtained were healthy, and the paper pots had excellent rooting. The conditions in the paper pots and multiplate cells when administered with Sphera and Triash promoted the development of a healthy and abundant root system. According to Mr. Daniel, the administration of Sphera and Triash made the plants more stocky, stronger, with thicker and stiffer stems, and less runaway. This will ensure a good start in cucumber production. The plants were planted into the prepared straw-based substrate.
Photo. 2. Greenhouse cucumber seedling prepared using CERES technology: application of 50 mm paper pot with multiplat and Sphera and Triash preparations.
Photo. 3. Root nugget of greenhouse cucumber seedlings prepared with CERES technology: paper pot 50 mm with multiplat and Sphera and Triash preparations.
Photo. 4. Greenhouse cucumber seedling prepared with CERES technology: 50 mm paper pot and Sphera and Triash preparations planted in a production tunnel.
Once again, testing our Sphera and Triash formulations, we received reproducible results. Greenhouse cucumber seedlings are among the plants tested positively. Proper root colonization by beneficial microorganisms from the group of endomycorrhizal fungi, soil bacteria and Trichoderma fungi is one of the basic elements of modern plant production. Let’s remember this and not be afraid to use them! It works!
We wish Mr. Daniel good luck and will try to visit him in some time.
Dr. Sebastian Żmudzki
