Development and Evaluation of Deoiled Seed Cake and Paddy Straw Amended Potting Media for the Cultivation of Tomato and Cucumber

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyse the potential of six Deoiled cakes (DOCs) (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% (v/v)) and Paddy straw (PS) (10% (v/v)) as potting media (PM) amendments and its subsequent effect on the physical and nutritional properties of the PM and plant health. The study focussed on two transplantable horticulture crops, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using coir pith (CP) and vermicompost (VC) as the base material of PM. Among 6 DOCs tested, neem (2.5%) and niger cake (5%) were found to be significant in improving the plant growth of both the crops tested. Further, PS powder amendment to selected PM improved the plant growth, up to 10% (v/v). However, at higher concentrations, PS amendment recorded decreased shoot and root length. Two optimized potting media, DPM-1 (CP + VC + Neem cake + PS:77.5 + 10 + 2.5 + 10% (v/v)) and DPM-2 (CP + VC + Niger cake + PS:75 + 10 + 5 + 10% (v/v)) were evaluated in comparison to peat-based two commercial potting media (CPM-1 and CPM-2). DPM-1 and DPM-2 recorded, bulk density (0.29 and 0.28 g/cm3), water holding capacity (59.87 and 59.02%), and % solid (16.63 and 15.37%), air porosity (23.50 and 25.61%), total porosity (83.37 and 84.63%), Ec (2.64 and 2.76 mS/cm), and pH (6.56 and 6.40), respectively. However, all these parameters were within the recommended range of ideal PM. Tomato and cucumber seedlings were grown in both DPMs showed significant improvement in growth and macro and micronutrients in comparison to CPMs and control.