CARNATION BAG CULTURES ON STEEP GRADIENT SOIL

In order to compare their agronomical response three carnation mediterranean-type cultivars (Lady Chimera, Brecalla and Cantalupo) were grown simultaneously on a natural flat soil, drip irrigated, in a greenhouse made with PE plastic film and a south-facing sloped field on hydroponic bags covered by a PE plastic film tunnel. Some bioproductive and physiological parameters were also studied.

Productivity results of sloped bag culture compared with traditional soil culture showed a significant increase in percentage of cut flowers/plant of: 227%, 129% and 163% for Lady Chimera, Brecalla and Cantalupo cultivars respectively. Plant density was 40.5 plants/m2 and 26.7 plants/m2 for bag and traditional techniques respectively. Therefore the cut flowers/m2 ratio resulted in an increase of 344%, 196% and 248% respectively for the three cultivars above mentioned.

Cut flowers quality was not significatively different in both techniques. Nevertheless post-harvest durability of cut flowers from bag culture was longer than that from traditional crop.

Predawn and minimum xylem water potentials of plants grown on hydroponic bags were higher than those grown on soil culture. Leaf area index values of crops were 6.50 and 3.64 for the hydroponic bag technique and the soil culture respectively.

According to this results, the hydroponic bag technique on south-facing fields has proved to be more useful than the traditional flat soil technique.