| dc.description.abstract | Coco pith is widely used as a growing substrate and the particle composition of the
substrate can substantially affect plant growth and productivity. This study was
conducted to investigate the effects of seven different particle compositions; 2
mm/6 mm mix (50/50), 6 mm/2 mm/fine mix (50/30/20), 2 mm/coarse mix
(20/80), 2 mm/coarse mix (40/60), 2 mm/coarse mix (50/50), 6 mm/sieved
mix/2nd particles mix (60/20/20) and 6 mm/sieved mix/2nd particles mix
(40/30/30) of coir-based substrates as the nursery media together with two
standard fine and coarse mixtures on nursery growth performance of Chilli pepper
(Scotch bonnet), Green chili (MICH HY 1) and Brinjal (Raveena) varieties. Almost
all growth parameters (Seedling height [cm], Root length [cm], and Total dry
matter content [g]) had diverse responses to substrate blend where the data was
analysed using SPSS. According to the results, seedling height and total dry matter
of MICH HY 1 and seedling height of Raveena showed a significant effect of
substrate blend treatment. Tested mixtures with minimum deviations from two
standard mixtures were selected as the best substrate blends with relevance to
growth parameters and the crop variety. T5 (2 mm/coarse mix [20/80]), T6 (2
mm/coarse mix [40/60]) and T7 (2 mm/coarse mix [50/50]) blends had best
performances over the standards for MICH HY 1 and Raveena. However, the
growth parameters of Scotch bonnet did not show significant effects. In conclusion,
new particle compositions with the best performance for Green chili and Brinjal
could be used to replace the standard mixtures. These findings will be vital for the
horticultural industry and enable growers to better cultivation without quality
losses. | en_US |
