The effects of soilless and conventional growing conditions on citrus nursery plant development

As a microbial fertilizer, provided by Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, Yeditepe University, three different formula “root promoter + baktobost np + baktogrop” were applied to experimented plants. Measurements included; rootstock and scion diameters, shoot length, chlorophyll and leaf area indexes, root mycorrhizal and bacterial infection ratio (%) and number of spores and bacteria in rhizosphere. The results showed that while mycorrhiza and microbial fertilizers had no effect on rootstock and scion diameters and shoot length, mycorrhizae had influence on chlorophyll and leaf area indexes. The effects of different Mycorrhiza species and microbial fertilizers to nursery plant performances of Meyer lemon plants grafted on sour orange rootstock were investigated. Air pruning technique was applied to roots to produce soil born pests free nursery plants. Ferti-irrigation with specially formulated soilless nutrient solution was applied to air pruning suitable pots to produce plants that are free from root circling, vigorous and can compete with well-developed conventional nursery plants that have soil penetrated roots. The study was conducted in a greenhouse that belongs to Akdeniz University Agricultural Faculty and that had light intensity between 303.00-1988.85 lx during April to November of 2017. The research was conducted with three replications each of which had five plants. Growing media was the 3:1 mixture of peat moss and pumice. Experimented Mycorrhiza mixture was consist of Glomus spp.: G. mosseae, G. etunicatium, G. clarium, G. intraradices, G. caledonium, G. macrocarpium, G. margarita, G. fasciculatum species. The dose of mycorrhiza mixture was 500 spores/plant (50 g of mycorrhiza)