The use of high quality seedlings is a key factor for the success of vegetable production, and the container size and design characteristics of the containers are important determinants of seedling quality. A experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different container types on quality of cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus L., cv. Aodai Melhorado). Seedlings were grown in a seedling nursery with shadow protection at 50% in different containers: (i) 128-cell trays; (ii) 64-cell trays; (iii) tubes of 120 cm3; and (iv) plastic cups of 180 cm3. The plant height, diameter, root length, shoot dry matter, root dry matter, sturdiness quotient (SQ), shoot:root dry matter ratio (SRR) and Dickson quality index (DQI) were measured at 21st days after... |