Utilization of agro-waste material as growing media for selected vegetables seedling

Abstract

This research was aimed to analyse the potential utilization of the agricultural wastes as a growing medium for the vegetable seedlings. Agricultural wastes such as coco peat, burnt rice husk, peat soil and sawdust were used in this research to cultivate chilli seedlings. Four different types of growing media were used in this research and each treatment has three replicates. The research was carried out at School of Bioprocess Engineering, University Malaysia Perlis for one month period. The physical, hydraulic and bio-chemical properties of the growing media were determined through various types of test conducted on them. These properties include bulk density, porosity, moisture content, pH, salinity, particle size distribution and nutrient content. Hydraulic press machine was used to compact the growing media into briquettes to be used as a planting medium. The briquettes weighed 70 g each and had a height and width of 5 cm. The physical growth of the chilli plants that consists of number of leaves produced, canopy diameter and plants’ height were observed and recorded every three days for one month period. At the end of the research, the total dry mass of upper parts (stems and leaves) and root volume production for each treatment were determined.