NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN SEEDLINGS PRODUCTION PREVENT ITS ADVERSE EFFECT ON OZONE LAYER AND LEACHING OF SALTS AND NITRATE INTO GROUNDWATER

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is used in soil fumigation to control pests, weeds and diseases in the production of seedlings of vegetables, flowers, tobacco etc. in the world. In Croatia, use of methyl bromide was approved in 1965 only for soil fumigation in the production of tobacco seedlings. According to the Montreal Protocol CH3Br is on the list of ozone depleting substances. Hence, its use is allowed only until 2005 in developed countries, and until 2015 in developing countries, with certain restrictions upon its application. In EU, use of CH3Br was banned in 2001. Pursuant to the directive of the Ministry of Agriculture, use of CH3Br in Croatia is allowed in the tobacco seedling production until 31 December 2005. This prompted research into new seedling production technologies without CH3Br in order to prevent its adverse effect on the ozone layer, as well as to avoid leaching of bromine salts into groundwater. Research was started by the Tobacco Institute and was intensified with the support of UNIDO and now tobacco producers produce seedlings without applying CH3Br. The results of the experiment have shown that in our pedoclimatic conditions seedlings of good quality can be produced on the plots where methyl bromide was used or with floating tray system as an alternative for the methyl bromide. Seedlings produced on the floating tray system were equally developed and of equal quality. The acceptance, growing and development of such plants in the field were better. Tobacco yield obtained of seedlings from floating tray system was higher and of better quality compared to the tobacco obtained from seedlings grown on plots treated with methyl bromide.