Optimization of growing media and pot size for vegetable seedlings grown in cylindrical paper pots using response surface methodology

Abstract

The soil based potting mix (media) of four altered proportion of farmyard manure (FYM) and three different pot volumes were considered for quality seedlings production of tomato and chili in cylindrical shaped paper pots made of bio-degradable newspaper material (density 50 g m−2). The experimental factors include three paper pot sizes of 50 cm3 (V1), 70 cm3 (V2), and 90 cm3 (V3) volume and four potting mixes made of 90% (M1), 70% (M2), 50% (M3) and 30% (M4) of different FYM proportions with equal proportions of sand and top layered soil were used in the experimentation to study the seedlings growth characteristics at the stage of transplanting. Though several seedlings growth characteristics are involved to recognize the good seedling, but the experimental selection criteria was based on two most dominating characters, that is, height and dry weight of seedlings. After completion of the experiment, the data was statistically analyzed to for rectify combination of potting media mix with respect to pot volume for the large-scale production of seedlings. It was found that pot volume of 90 cm3 (V3) filled with M4 mix (includes 30% FYM, and rest of each 35% sand and top soil) were the best for growing vegetable seedlings.