Standardization of Potting Mix and Pot Volume for the Production of Vegetable Seedlings in Paper Pot

Abstract

Effect of four different proportions of farmyard manure (FYM) in a soil based mix and three different pot volumes on growth of tomato, eggplant and chili peppers in paper pots were studied. Recycled newspaper (density 50 g m−2) was used to prepare pots of volume 45, 82, and 126 cm3. Potting mixes made up of FYM, sand and soil with the FYM proportion ranging from 20% to 80% in equal proportion of sand and top soil were used. Seedling height and dry weight were measured at the end of the seedling stage. The best combination of potting mix and pot volume for the large scale production of seedlings was identified using non-dominated sorting technique. Paper pots of volume 82 cm3 filled with a mix of 80% FYM and rest 20% with equal proportions of sand and top soil were found to be the best option for the large scale production of paper pot seedlings.