Effect of oil palm frond compost amended coconut coir dust soilless growing media on growth and yield of cauliflower

• Published in: International journal of agriculture and biology Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 731 - 736
• Main Authors: Erwan (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Inst. of Tropical Agriculture), Ismail, M.R. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Inst. of Tropical Agriculture), Saud, H.M. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Dept. of Agrobiotechnology), Othman, R. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Dept. of Land Management), Habib, S.H. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Dept. of Agrobiotechnology), Kausar, H. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Inst. of Tropical Agriculture), Naher, L. (Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor (Malaysia). Dept. of Biology)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faisalabad AsiaNet Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd 01.08.2013
• Subjects: Brassica; BRASSICA OLERACEA; BYPRODUCTS; CHLOROPHYLLS; COCONUTS; COIR; COMPOSTS; ELAEIS GUINEENSIS; FLOWERING; GROWING MEDIA; LEAF AREA; NITROGEN CONTENT; PHOSPHORUS; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; POTASSIUM; PROXIMATE COMPOSITION; SOILLESS CULTURE; STOMATA; TRACE ELEMENTS; TRANSPIRATION
• ISSN: 1560-8530

This research report is about the potential of coconut coir dust (CD) amended with oil palm frond (OPF) compost soil less growing media for cauliflower cultivation. Five different soil less growing media comprising of CD alone and as mixtures of CD and peat [CDP]; CD and OPF compost A (CDCa); CD and OPF compost B (CDCb); CD and OPF compost C (CDCc) were evaluated in a tropical humid planthouse. The treatment CDCa provided optimum plant growth conditions of cauliflower throughout the growing period due to superiority in physiological traits (stomata] conductance, photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content in leaves) and higher rate of nutrients uptake resulting maximum total dry mass production thereby economic yield i.e., production of biggest curd (302 g/plant). Moreover, Plants grown on CDCa media mature six days earlier than the control plants. Therefore, plants grown in soil less growing medium, CDCa might suitable growing medium for commercial cultivation of cauliflower in tropical conditions.