Effect of different organic media on growth of cucumber seedlings

Abstract

The study was conducted at the experimental site of Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC), Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Dokki, Giza governorate, in a plastic house during two successive seasons 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. Many wastes which are useless by-products of their respective production processes, can be useful as organic materials with potential applications. These wastes can be used as alternatives to imported peat (peat moss)which is very expensive. Mixtures of some substrates with peanut shells are ideal media for starting seedlings and also for growing them to the stage of maturity.Green house experiment was carried out to study the possibilities of using incubated peanut shells as organic growing media for producing cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus L.) cv. Hesham cultivar compared with imported peat. There was no significant difference between the seedlings grown in peanut shells and those grown in imported peat. While plants grown in peanut shells gave the highest values of all growth parameters. The seedlings grown in incubated peanut shells and those grown in imported peat were cultivated in plastic pots (25cm diameter) filled with eight different mixtures of substrates.Obtained results showed that no significant difference between the seedlings grown in peanut shells and those grown in imported peat. There were no significant differences presented on yield and number of fruits between the two transplanting media. Also, seedlings transplanted in peanut media have higher values of fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, number of leaves, yield and fruit number. Seedlings transplanted in peanut media contained higher NPK concentration than those transplanted in peat media with significant differences. The same trend was found concerning Ca% and Mg%contants in both seasons. Iron concentration in the root of cucumber plants which grown in Peanut media was higher than that grown in Peatmoss media with significant differences. The same was found in Zn, Mn and Cu in both seasons, there were significant differences between mixed substrate in Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu. The aim of this experiment is to find another substrate which can replace the imported peat moss in greenhouse and growing plants as it must be of the same high quality as the peat moss.