Summary
Steam sterilization increased the yield of tomatoes grown on peat over 3 years. The increase becomes more pronounced with time. The effect of steaming was greater in the summer crop which has a duration of 6 months than in the autumn crop which has a duration of 4 months. Similar yield patterns were evident in tomatoes grown in sand and soil. Manganese levels in the growing media and in the foliage rose as a result of steaming, but toxic levels were reached only in plants growing on steamed soil which caused yield reduction. Leaf nitrogen content was increased as a result of steaming. Steaming over three years did not cause a breakdown of the structure of the peat.
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Woods, M.J., Prasad, M. & Maher, M.J. Effect of steaming on yield and nutrient content of tomatoes grown in three substrates and on physical properties of the substrate. Plant Soil 36, 209–213 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01373472
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01373472