ENHANCEMENT OF TOMATO SEEDLING QUALITY AND YIELD PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF TWO NATURAL BIOSTIMULANTS

4th International Symposium On Biotechnology (2026),  [pp. 73-80]
 
AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Vida Todorović , Nikolina Đekić , Svjetlana Zeljković , Dino Hasanagić , Dragana Ćetković Bujić  

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/SBT26.073T

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

Ensuring adequate vegetation space is crucial for healthy root growth and efficient access to resources essential for producing high-quality seedlings. However, overcrowding leads to increased competition, stunted development, and reduced success during transplantation. The application of biostimulants, which consist of organic materials, hormones, and beneficial microbes, further supports seedling development. These substances enhance nutrient uptake, improve stress resistance, and boost overall plant vigor. Proper vegetation spacing and biostimulants create optimal conditions for robust seedling growth and successful establishment after transplantation. This study evaluated morphological traits, including plant height, stem diameter, and leaf number, as indicators of seedling quality in two tomato cultivars: Novosadski jabučar and Ombelline hybrid. The findings revealed that Novosadski jabučar produced taller plants with thicker stems than Ombelline F1 did. Both cultivars displayed significant improvements in leaf number and shoot mass owing to the vegetation area size and biostimulant application. The analysis of biogenic elements showed higher levels of N, P, K, and Ca in Novosadski jabučar. Larger vegetation spaces and biostimulants synergistically enhanced seedling quality, with the cultivar being a decisive factor for productive traits. This study underscores the need to optimize vegetation space, select appropriate cultivars, and incorporate biostimulants to ensure the successful growth and development of tomato seedlings in the future.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

tomato, biostimulants, vegetation space, seedling quality

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:

This work is supported by the Serbian Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovations (Agreement No. 451-03-33/2026-03/200088, 451-03-33/2026-03/ 200216, 451-03-34/2026-03/200383)

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