2024· Annales Horticulturae· Vol 17, pp. 17-21· 0 citations
Abstract
The investigation was conducted at the Centre for Protected Cultivation and Technology (CPCT), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi from 2022 to 23 to study the effects of different types of growing media on the biochemical composition of lettuce cultivars in protected conditions. It was laid in a factorial randomized block design with 3 replications. The findings of the investigation revealed that the choice of growing media significantly influenced the biochemical composition of lettuce cultivars. Soil media generally resulted in higher levels of total soluble solids, antioxidant activity, respiration rate, moisture content, chlorophyll content, and ascorbic acid content. On the other hand, soilless media performed better in terms of total carotenoid content. These findings highlight the need for proper nutrient management strategies to maximize crop yield and nutritional value. By understanding the influence of growing media on nutrient availability, farmers can implement targeted fertilization for their crops. Moreover, the study also considered the economic aspects of lettuce cultivation. It was found that soil despite providing higher yield and better-quality lettuce, required more resources and labor than soilless media. This suggests that farmers should carefully weigh the economic costs and benefits of their choice of growing media. The study provides valuable insights into the impact of growing media on lettuce cultivation. It prioritizes the need for careful selection of growing media to optimize lettuce yield and nutritional value. Additionally, it highlights the importance of sustainable agricultural practices and nutrient management in enhancing crop quality and promoting environmental sustainability.
An investigation was conducted at CPCT, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in 2022 to 23 to study the impact of soil and soilless media on lettuce cultivars. The study used a factorial randomized block design with 3 replications. Various agro morphological and yield parameters were analyzed for different lettuce genotypes. The results showed that lettuce grown in soil media had better outcomes, except for root length and weight, which were higher in soilless media. Among the varieties, V9 (Lollo Rossa) performed well, while V12 (Red Rose) performed poorly in leafy types. Concerning head types, V16 (Great Lakes) performed well, while V15 (Butterhead Green) performed poorly. Regarding economics, the cost of cultivation was consistent across all cultivars. However, V9 (Lollo Rossa) had the highest gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio for leafy types, while V12 (Red Rose) had the lowest. Among the head types, V16 (Great Lakes) had the highest gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio, while V15 (Butterhead Green) had the lowest. Soilless media resulted in higher cultivation expenses and lower gross income, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio than soil-based cultivation. In conclusion, Lettuce production has been determined to thrive best in soil, making it the most suitable medium for cultivation.
R. Y. Thushal, Awani Kumar Singh, G. S. Jat et al.· Annales Horticulturae· 0 citations
This study evaluates the effect of different soilless growing media on physiological properties of media and growth parameters of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under Polyhouse conditions during 2024 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut, U.P. The experiment was carried out in completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 replications comprising 10 treatment combinations. The media tested include cocopeat, biochar, rice husk, and their various combinations. Physiological parameters assessed were water holding capacity (WHC), pH, and bulk density, while plant growth was evaluated based on vine length, number of leaves, days to first female flower appearance, and root and shoot fresh weight. The results showed that media combination significantly influenced all physiological and growth parameters. Among different media combination T8 with 12.5% cocopeat+12.5% Biochar+75% rice husk recorded the highest vine length (273.91 cm), leaf number (54.00), and root-shoot biomass(109.50g) as well as the earliest female flower appearance (25.17 DAS). Cocopeat alone (T1) exhibited the highest water holding capacity (64.49%) but had limitations in aeration indicated by low bulk density values (0.090 Mg/m3). (T2) Biochar (100%) treatments recorded higher pH values (8.77). The study concludes that balanced media formulations enhance root environment and plant physiological responses conducive to vigorous growth in protected cucumber cultivation.
Akshat Gupta, S. Lodhi, M. Singh et al.· Annales Horticulturae· 0 citations
Vegetable crops contribute significantly to the supply of essential food staples to urban markets. Cucumbers are among these crops because of their nutritional properties, which are valued by consumers. They are generally grown on the outskirts of cities. Thus, agricultural production is constrained by the availability of arable land, which is limited by rapid urban expansion. To compensate for this shortage of arable land, farmers have turned to soilless cultivation. The success of this method depends on the growing medium used.
In this context, this study aims to determine an appropriate growing medium for cucumber production in a greenhouse.
Three growing media were used to conduct this study : potting soil, a mixture of soil and coconut fibre, and natural soil. The plants were obtained by germinating cucumber seeds in à nursery using the formulated growing media. After ten days of germination, the best seedlings were transplanted into pots containing the various growing media. The plants were grown in a greenhouse established at the experimental site. Various growth and fruiting parameters were measured during cucumber cultivation on the tested substrates.
The experimental results showed that seed germination rates and cucumber plant height were highest in potting soil. Cucumber flowering and fruit ripening occurred earlier and were more abundant in potting soil than in the other growing media. Thus, yield per hectare was highest in potting soil. This medium is therefore an effective growing medium for cucumber production in soilless cultivation under greenhouse conditions.
Sanogo Souleymane, S. André, Ouattara Laddy et al.· Journal of Applied Life Scie...· 0 citations
The study was conducted to assess the influence of various forms of mineral fertilizers on soil enzymatic activity, cellulose decomposition rate and crop yields, with the aim of improving fertilization systems. The study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in Omsk region in a long-term stationary field experiment, which included the following treatments: no fertilizer (control), N60, P60 and N60P60. The experimental plot soil was a medium-humus, heavy loamy meadow-chernozem soil. Enzymatic activity was determined in air-dried samples. Meteorological conditions during the observation period and crops grown influenced the soil’s enzymatic activity. Catalase demonstrated its highest activity under perennial grass crops towards the end of growing season, in August, reaching 2.03 O2 cm3/min. No significant effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on invertase and urease activity were observed. The highest rate of cellulose decomposition in the soil was observed in oil flax crops, where this indicator varied from 0.82 to 0.95% per day, compared to 0.60 to 0.71% per day under perennial grasses and 0.69 to 0.85% per day under the sorghum-sudanic hybrid. Under the current conditions, the use of N60P60 in flaxseed, orchardgrass mixed with sainfoin and sorghum-sudanic hybrid crops was most effective, yielding 1.54 t/ha of oilseeds and 4.21 and 5.23 t/ha of aboveground plant dry matter, respectively.
Artem Yurievich Timokhin, N. N. Shuliko, E. Kubasova et al.· Vestnik of Kazan state agrar...· 0 citations
Malaysia’s heavy reliance on imported soy-based feed ingredients poses significant
challenges to both food security and sustainability in its livestock sector. As an
underutilised legume with high protein content and strong ecological adaptability,
Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC. (jackbean) offers a promising local alternative. This study
investigated the combined effects of different growing media (clay, cocopeat, sandy soil,
and topsoil) and organic amendments (control, composted chicken manure, green manure,
and biochar) on the growth performance and yield of jackbean. The experiment was
conducted using a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with five replications, and
plants were harvested after 12 weeks. The data on plant height, number of leaves, number
of branches, pod length, pod number, flower production, chlorophyll content, shoot
biomass, and root biomass were analysed using two-way ANOVA in RStudio. The results
demonstrated that sandy soil amended with green manure (GM) consistently produced the
highest values for plant height (185.61 cm), number of leaves (84.90), number of branches
(33.63) and pod length (17.00 cm). GM in topsoil had higher chlorophyll content (33.08),
while it had the highest shoot dry weight (56.18 g) and root dry weight (6.48 g) in
cocopeat. GM showed the most robust and consistent enhancement across all media types,
indicating its superior nutrient supply and positive effects on rhizosphere microbial
activity. In contrast, biochar amended performed poorly, particularly when applied in
sandy and topsoil, likely due to poor drainage and nutrient immobilisation. These findings
revealed the importance of selecting optimal combinations of organic inputs and soil
media to maximise jackbean productivity and highlight their potential as a sustainable
crop for protein-rich feed production, supporting the efforts to reduce Malaysia's
dependency on soybean imports and enhance agroecological resilience. This study aligns
with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting sustainable crop
management and enhancing food security.
S. S. Sahmat, Z. Yusop, M. Z. Kamil et al.· Food Research· 0 citations
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important cereal crops and is the staple food for more than half of the population in Asia. Excessive use of chemical fertilizer degraded the soil profile and led to environmental issues, highlighting the need for alternative, sustainable options. While organic farming practices improve soil health, limited studies have evaluated the combined effects of multiple organic amendments under field conditions. The present study aims to assess the combined effects of Azolla and compost on soil fertility and paddy yield under farmers’ field conditions in Kerala, India. Five nutrient management treatments were evaluated viz., P1- Application of basal nutrients only (Farm yard manures (FYMs)); P2- Application of compost with basal nutrients and P3- Application of Azolla with basal nutrients, P4- Application of both compost and Azolla with basal nutrients; and C- Farmer’s traditional organic management practices as control. Results demonstrated that the rice variety Karuna, under P4, exhibited a 50% increase in growth and yield parameters compared to C. Post-harvest soil analysis confirmed enhanced nutrient retention and microbial activity in organic amendments treatments. The present study demonstrated that integrated organic amendments, i.e., the combined application of Azolla and compost, significantly enhance paddy yield and soil nutrient status as compared to conventional organic farming. However, the results are location and season-specific, and further long-term multi-location studies are required to evaluate the broader agronomic, ecological, and economic implications of such integrated approaches. The study highlights the potential of integrated nutrient management strategies for reducing excessive dependence on chemical fertilizers while supporting sustainable rice production systems.
