Utilization of some organic wastes as growing media for lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants |
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Authors: | Hala H Gomah Mohamed M M Ahmed Reham M Abdalla Khaled A Farghly |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Soils and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt;2. Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, ARC, Giza, Egypt;3. Vegetables Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt |
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Abstract: | AbstractThe environmental impact of crop wastes and the high cost of peat moss (PM) force scientists to find alternative growing media. In a pot experiment, peanut shell (PS) and corn wastes (CWs) were evaluated as growing media in comparison with PM in three different mixing ratios with washed sand. The mixing ratio were M1?=?1:1 raw material to sand, M2?=?1:2 raw material to sand, and M3?=?1:3 raw material to sand. The tested plant was lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The obtained results showed that PS medium contained available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) higher by 121% and 38% above the PM medium. Availability of potassium (K) in CW medium was higher by 167% than PM. The EC, pH, OC, and C/N ratio of PM were higher by 227%, 4%, 128%, and 99% above the CW and by 1,473%, 9%, 74%, and193% above the PS, respectively. The highest significant values of growth parameters were recorded in PM medium. The highest total cost and lowest net profit were recorded with the use of PMM1, whereas the lowest cost and the highest net profit were obtained with PSM2. Physiochemical characteristics of peanut shell suggested that it can be economical alternative growing media for PM. |
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Keywords: | corn waste growing media Hoagland solution Lactuca sativa peanut shall peat soilless |
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