토경재배 토마토의 묘령에 따른 생육, 광합성 및 항산화 활성 특성

Effect of Seedling Age on Plant Growth Characteristics, Photosynthetic Rate and Antioxidant Enzymes of Tomato Grown in Soil Culture

The objective of this study was to carry out the effect of seedling age on plant growth characteristics, photosynthetic rate, and the antioxidant enzyme activity of tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown in a greenhouse. Forty-, forty-five-, fifty-, fifty-five, and sixty-day old seedlings from sowing to planting were planted in soil culture and grown in a greenhouse for ten weeks. Tomato growth and development of shorter seedling period less than 50-day old seedling was promoted, but plants with longer seedling period more than 50-day old seedling were decreased. At week 4, photosynthetic rates were lowest in 40-day old seedling age and there were no significant difference between treatments at week 8 after planting. Activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), ascorbate peroxidase(APX), and peroxidase(POX) were investigated. SOD activity was higher in 40- and 45-day old seedlings compared to other seedling ages at week 4 after planting. The highest CAT activity was investigated in 45-day old seedling at both 4 and 6 weeks after planting. At week 6 after planting, APX and POX was increased with increase of seedling ages from 50 to 60 days. Tomato yield was significantly increased with decreasing seedling age from 50- to 40-day old seedling ages. Hence it is considered that the optimum seedling age for tomato plant growth and yield was 40- to 50-day old seedlings. These results suggest that tomato plants with shorter seedling age less than 50-day old seedling promoted plant growth and productivity of tomato and then it would reduce production costs under soil culture.