EFFECT OF UNIFORMITY OF SEEDLING EMERGENCE ON THE PERCENTAGE OF USABLE TRANSPLANTS PRODUCED IN THE GREENHOUSE FLOAT SYSTEM

Abstract Experiments were conducted in 1999 and 2000 to investigate the effect of uniformity of seedling emergence on the percentage of usable tobacco transplants produced in a greenhouse float system. Uneven seedling emergence was facilitated by staggering seeding date in randomly selected cells within a 288-cell tray. Treatments included seeding all cells on day 1 (control) and seeding 75% of the cells on day 1 and 25% seeded on day 5, 7, or 12 (in 1999) and day 3 or 5 (in 2000); other staggered seeding combinations also were investigated. Seedling emergence was measured until maximum emergence was observed. Fifty days after initial seeding, total plant stand, number of usable transplants, stem length, fresh weight, and dry weight were determined. A sample of 10 seedlings, based upon the percentage of usable and non-usable transplants from an individual tray, was used to determine stem length, fresh weight, and dry weight measurements. In both years, delayed seeding resulted in slower and less uniform s...