Summary
This study evaluated 18 growth media mixtures prepared from mineral fractions and agricultural organic wastes for tomato seedling production in a completely randomised design. Treatment T15 (commercial media with 15% date palm seed ground) achieved the highest values for fresh weight and leaf area, whilst T13 and T14 achieved the highest seed emergence rates. The results indicate that supplementing commercial media or selected waste-based mixtures can significantly enhance seedling quality metrics compared to control.
Regional applicability
This research was conducted in Egypt and focuses on utilising locally abundant agricultural wastes. The findings may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom horticulture given differences in climate, waste streams (date palm, rice straw availability), and existing seedling production infrastructure, though the methodology of evaluating organic waste-based media mixtures could be adapted to UK waste feedstocks.
Key measures
Seed emergency rate, SPAD value (leaf chlorophyll content), fresh weight, leaf area, plant dry matter, percentage of seedlings
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated 18 different growth media mixtures combining mineral substrates (sand and vermiculite) with agricultural organic wastes (date palm seeds, rice straw, coffee grounds) to identify optimal formulations for tomato seedling production. Key measured parameters included seed emergence rate, chlorophyll content (SPAD), fresh weight, leaf area, and dry matter content.
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