Abstract
Limited fertilization treatment (LFT) was applied to cabbage plug seedling stored for more than two months. The cabbage seedling was only supplied with water after sowing in a soil mixture with fertilizer. The stem length, leaf number, and largest leaf length were maintained at similar levels for three weeks after sowing. The plug seedlings receiving LFT showed a morphology similar to that of the control (fertilized, CL) three weeks after sowing (optimum planting time). However, limited morphological changes were observed over a nine-week observation after the optimum planting time. Leaf chlo2rophyll content of LFT decreased during storage, but reached a level similar to that of CL within the first week after planting. The dry matter ratio of plug seedling in LFT6,9,12 (6, 9 and 12 weeks after sowing) showed a two-fold increase in comparison to that of CL. However, one week after their planting, the dry matter ratio decreased to a level similar to that of CL. The relative growth rate of LFT6,9,12 was less than that of the control at one week and higher than that of the control at three weeks after planting. However, the relative growth rate was similar to that of the control at two weeks after planting. The leaf number and largest leaf length of the LFT three weeks after planting, and also the yield and quality of the head from the LFT at harvesting time were similar to those of CL. The present findings suggest that plug seedling storage period could be increased by more than two months through application of the limited fertilization treatment to cabbage plants.
