토마토 정식 전 후 묘령에 따른 토마토의 생육의 특성, 수량, 광합성 및 항산화 효소 활성을 알아보고자 본 실험을 수행하였다. 토마토 파종부터 정식시 까지 기간을 40, 45, 50, 55, 60일로 설정하였다. 육묘 기간이 50일(표준묘)보다 짧을수록 토마토 생장과 생육이 촉진된 반면에 육묘 일수가 길수록 생장과 생육이 감소하였다. 정식 후 4주는 묘령이 가장 짧은 40일묘에서 광합성량이 낮았지만 정식 후 8주는 차이를 보이지 않았다. CAT(Catalase), APX(Ascorbate peroxidase), POX(peroxidase) 들은 정식후 6주까지 증가하다가 8주부터 감소하였다. 정식후 4주는 SOD (Superoxide dismutase), CAT 활성은 묘령이 어릴수록 높은 경향을 보였고 반대로 정식 후 6주는 APX, POX는 육묘기간이 길수록 활성이 높았다. 토마토 수량도 표준묘와 비교해서 육묘 기간이 짧은 묘령에서 토마토 생산성이 높은 반면에 육묘기간이 길수록 생산이 감소하였다. 토마토의 생장과 수량의 관점에서 보면 육묘 기간은 40-50일 적합하다는 결과를 도출하였다. 따라서 토마토를 토경재배 할 경우 표준 묘령 50일보다 짧은 묘를 정식 후 생장과 생산성에서 유리할 뿐 아니라 육묘 시 발생되는 생산비의 절감에 유리할 것으로 사료된다.
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.