Improved evaluation of seedling cultivation efficiency in cocopeat substrate through the addition of di-verse nutrient sources
[Objective]Suitable substrates are crucial for cultivating high-quality seedlings.Common peat-based substrates exert significant pressure on the ecological environment,necessitating the search for suitable alternatives.Coconut coir is a promising substitute for peat,but its limited nutrient content cannot fully meet crop seedling growth requirements.This study aimed to ex-plore the effects of different nutrient sources on enhancing coconut coir-based substrate to reduce peat usage.[Methods]Three seedling substrates were formulated using 10%organic pig manure,fermented rice husks,or agricultural humic acid as nutrient sources,combined with 10%perlite,30%peat,and 50%coconut coir.Two control groups,CK1(90%peat+10%perlite)and CK2(30%peat+60%coconut coir+10%perlite),were used in cucumber and rice seedling experiments.Measurements included seedling growth conditions,physical and chemical properties of the substrates,and formulation costs.Additionally,10 agricultural technicians evaluated and scored the substrates and seedling growth to identify the optimal formula from an agricul-tural perspective.[Results]All three substrate formulations showed excellent seed germination performance,with germination indices exceeding 100%.While the nutrient sources had limited effects on the substrates'physical properties,they significantly impacted chemical properties.The substrate with fermented rice husks exhibited the highest pH,15.79%higher than CK1,and the fermented rice husks and agricultural humic acid treatment achieved the highest EC,7.41%higher than CK1.Compre-hensive seedling growth evaluation showed that all three nutrient treatments significantly improved cucumber seedling growth compared to CK2.The T1 treatment(10%pig manure)led to increases of 16.99%,30.06%,18.13%,and 28.57%in plant height,stem diameter,chlorophyll content,and above-ground dry weight,respectively,compared to CK1.For rice seedlings,pig manure and agricultural humic acid treatments significantly outperformed CK1 and CK2,whereas the fermented rice husk treatment showed no significant difference compared to CK2.The pig manure treatment promoted optimal growth for both cucumber and rice seedlings,though its formulation cost was the highest at 0.54 yuan/L,14.89%higher than CK1(0.47 yuan/L).Farmer evaluations indicated a strong preference for CK1 and the pig manure treatments during seedling cultivation for both crops.[Conclusion]The substrate formulation"10%organic fertilizer from pig manure+30%peat+50%cocopeat+10%perlite"effectively meets the growth requirements of cucumber and rice seedlings.
万方数据
维普
