INFLUENCE OF RE-USING SUBSTRATES ON THE YIELD AND EARLINESS OF EGGPLANT IN SOILLESS CULTURE

This study was conducted to investigate the reuse of different substrates to test soilless culture under grower conditions, to apply this technique to vegetable growing and reduce costs.
The experiment was carried out with the following substrates; 2, 3, 4, 5 year used volcanic tuff +peat + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1) which had been used in tomato growing in previous years, five year used peat + volcanic tuff (1:1), five year used tuff + spent mushroom compost (1:1) and unused substrate peat + volcanic tuff + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1) which were compared with soil growing.
At the end of the experiment the highest yield was obtained from two year used volcanic tuff + peat + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1) (12.80 kg.m^-2). The next highest yields were from three year used and unused volcanic tuff + peat + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1) with 11.74 kg.m^-2 and 11.69 kg.m^-2, respectively.
However, the lowest yield was obtained from soil growing with 6.60 kg.m^-2. In terms of earliness, the best result (3.71 kg.m^-2) was obtained from two year used volcanic tuff + peat + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1) and the lowest early yield (1.90 kg.m^-2) obtained with soil.

International Symposium Greenhouse Management for Better Yield & Quality in Mild Winter Climates

G. Çelikel

Eggplant, substrates, reusing

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.491.55