The effects of spent mushroom compost on growth and nutrient contents of pepper seedlings
Abstract
Many growing medium is used to grow pepper seedlings. Of these, the mixture of 70% peat + 30% perlite in the seedling production is commercially widely preferred as the best growing medium. However, spent mushroom compost is also one of growing medium material. This study aimed to investigate the effects of growing media prepared by spent mushroom compost on growth, quality and nutrient contents of pepper seedlings. For this purpose; the fresh spent mushroom compost removed immediately after mushroom production, the aged spent mushroom compost kept under natural conditions for more than six months after mushroom production, perlite, peat, and their mixtures were used as growing medium. The experiment was conducted in the research greenhouse at the Seed Research and Development Center of Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, and was set up in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Turbo F1 (Capsicum annuum L.) charleston pepper variety was selected as a plant material. The results showed that the mixture of 70% aged spent mushroom compost + 30% perlite and solely the use of aged spent mushroom compost compared with the mixture of 70% peat + 30% perlite growing medium can be used as seedling medium for pepper in terms of germination ratio, stem diameter, height, leaf number and the macro element contents of the seedlings.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Halil Demir
Akdeniz Üniversitesi, Ziraat Fakültesi, Bahçe Bitkileri Bölümü, Antalya, Türkiye
Türkiye
Publication Date
August 1, 2017
Submission Date
August 8, 2017
Acceptance Date
May 18, 2017
Published in Issue
Year 2017 Volume: 30 Number: 2
