Download Transplant Tray Cells

Transplant Tray Cells Does Size Matter?
Dr. Ron Goldy, MSUE
Southwest Michigan Research
and Extension Center
Benton Harbor, Michigan
What do we know already?
Plastic better than Styrofoam
Black gives more rapid growth
than white
What about the affect of cell
size?
Trend is for smaller cells to
reduce production costs
Every study indicates smaller cell
size produces smaller transplants
Do small transplants have longterm consequences?
It depends
What are your goals?
early vs. total yield
What is your crop?
Production practices
(irrigation, fertilizer)
Weather
72
Popular 128
Sizes
200
Tray
(# of cells)
Plant Density
(Cells/Ft2)
Cell1Volume
(Cc.)
24
14
171
38
23
106
50
31
66
72
47
43
128
78
23
200
122
11
288
175
7
Recommended Crops
early tomatoes, vine
crops
early tomatoes, vine
crops
early tomatoes, vine
crops
early peppers, early cole
crops, early vine crops
main-season tomatoes,
peppers, Cole crops
late-season peppers,
Cole crops
processing tomato,
sweet onion
Janice LeBoeuf, OMAFRA Vegetable Specialist
Cell Volume
(cm3)
Crop
Tomato
2-
Broccoli
4
15
31
Tomato
4
19
Cabbage
8
Pepper
3-
Transplant Ht.
(inches)
4-in.pots 7.0 8.0 12
Observed Yields
1.0
1.4
1.8 lbs (early fruit/plant)
1.1 1.6 1.9
5.3
5.8
6.7 tons/acre (total)
39
3.9 7.9 8.3
3.6
4.0
8.0 tons/acre (early)
28
39
3.9 3.5 4.7
1.9
2.1
2.2 lbs/head
6
19
39
7.5 7.9 8.7
0.7
1.0
1.9 tons/acre (early)
Watermelon 19
--
39
--
23.6 --
Pepper
5
35
65
4.7 6.3 6.7
28.0 27.0 28.0 tons/acre (total)
Watermelon 19
31
66
--
22.0 22.0 23.0 tons/acre (total)
--
--
--
--
25.4 tons/acre (total)
2013 MSU Pepper Trial
Table 1. Yield in bushels/acre and size grades of ‘Aristotle’
bell pepper grown at the Southwest Michigan Research and
Extension Center, Benton Harbor, Michigan in 2013. Plant
population was approximately 10,560 plants per acre.
Treatment
(cells/tray)
Total
Yield
Yield
No.1
No.1
Wt.
(gms)
72
98
128
200
lsd .05
1191
1217
1164
1271
ns
928
931
911
1032
ns
195
189
193
203
ns
Yield Yield Yield Yield Yield Yield
Jumbo Extra Large Med No.2 Cull
Large
177
162
146
247
76
265
244
221
299
ns
323
338
371
321
ns
164
187
173
164
ns
79
100
58
54
35
184
187
195
185
ns
Table 2. Above ground weight in grams of four ‘Aristotle’
pepper plants from four transplant tray cell sizes at four
dates in 2013. Plants were grown at the Southwest
Michigan Research and Extension Center, Benton Harbor.
Plant population was 10560 plants per acre.
Cells/Tray
72
5/22
4.9
Weigh Date
7/9 7/30
8/14
474 2638.5 4143.8
98
3.2
654.8 2582.5 4499.0
126
3.0
444.3 1952.5 4643.3
200
1.9
349.3 1977.5 4932.5
lsd .05
0.7
140.2 591.6
ns
What is known:
Larger cells produce larger plants
Larger cells lead to earlier harvest
Small cells restrict root growth
Small cells change root growth
Small cells require more frequent
watering
General applications:
Use larger cells for early yield
Use smaller cells for later plantings
Minimize stress between the
greenhouse and the field
Timely fertilizer and irrigation
after planting
QUESTIONS??
omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/transplants-plugtrays.htm
leopold.iastate.edu/cool_tools/transplant-production-decision-tool-3
msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1995.html