Abstract
In order to evaluate the effect of growing media with peat and spent mushroom residue (SMR) on medicinal plants, we cultured Gossypium herbaceum and Talinum paniculatum seedlings in the substrates with SMR in proportions of 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Results showed that G. herbaceum seedlings can survive in all treatments, but T. paniculatum seedlings died out in 75% and 100% SMR substrates where higher electrical conductance was found (2.3-2.7 dS m-1). Both growth and biomass mostly declined with the increase of SMR proportion in the growing media for the two species except for root biomass in T. paniculatum seedlings between the control and the 25% SMR treatment. Shoot nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and contents tended to be higher in low- and high-SMR-proportional substrates, respectively. N and P statuses were both diagnosed to be excessive than needed for the two species. Overall, it was not recommended to culture G. herbaceum seedlings in the substrates with SMR; instead T. paniculatum seedlings can be cultured in the growing media with SMR in volumetric proportion of 25%.
Highlights
Peat is an un-renewable resource that has been heavily exploited and made the natural reserve touch the warning-line
Shoots of G. herbaceum seedlings subjected to the 100% spent mushroom residue (SMR) treatment failed to initiate the second flush and showed yellow leaves in most surviving individuals
Height and root-collar diameter (RCD) were lower in the 75% and 100% SMR treatments than those in the control in G. herbaceum seedlings
Summary
Peat is an un-renewable resource that has been heavily exploited and made the natural reserve touch the warning-line. Intensive extraction of peat has led to the ecological degradation and stimulation of CO2 permission that contributes to the global warming (Bustamante et al, 2008). Russia and Finland accounted for over 40% of national peat production worldwide (Kalmari, 1991; Tcvetkov, 2017). Most of extracted peat are used for fuel industry and horticultural substrates. A limit has been foreseen for natural reserves if no alternative resource can be emerged. Along with the establishment of huge mushroom industry, a considerable amount of SMR is being produced every year. The increasing demand for mushroom production drives the increase of SMR accumulation, which has led to a new issue of solid waste heap. Piled SMRs can be used as the primary substance for extracting biofertilizers due to their abundant nutritive compounds that were derived from fungus
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