COMPOST AS PEAT SUBSTITUTE IN OLIVE CUTTING MEDIA | ||||
Journal of Plant Production | ||||
Article 14, Volume 6, Issue 8, August 2015, Page 1443-1450 PDF (384.53 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2015.51898 | ||||
View on SCiNiTO | ||||
Author | ||||
M. A. Abdel-Mohsen | ||||
Pomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt | ||||
Abstract | ||||
The possibility of replacement compost as peat moss in olive propagation media (PM) and it’s impact on growth was investigated during both 2013 and 2014 seasons. Semi- hardwood stems cuttings of Coratina olive cultivar prepared in April and August of both seasons. The basal portion of each cutting was immersed 4000 ppm indole butyric acid before planting. Propagation media (Treatments) consist of: sphagnum peat-moss: sand in one ratio (1:3) as a control and plant composting: sand in five ratio (1: 3, 1: 4, 1: 5, 1: 6 and 1: 7) by volume. The obtained results clearly showed the enhancements in cuttings rooting percentage and root characteristics were associated with the highest sand compost ratio (1: 6 or 1:7) as well as peat: sand media (1:3) which correlated with decreasing bulk density and penetration of propagating media and raising its aeration. The percentages of rooting were significantly decreased linearly by decreasing compost: sand ratios (1: 2 or 1: 3). The usage of compost: sand at 1: 7 in both seasons and at 1:6 in the second season only resulted in significantly the highest rooting percentage. Statistically equal results were attributed to the contextually used medium (peat: sand at 1:3). The similar trend occurred with the other root characteristics i.e. average root dry weight and number of roots / transplant. Moreover, using compost: sand at 1:4 or 1:5 achieved similar or better growth of shoot than using peat: sand at 1: 3 as PM. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
olive; propagation media; rooting percentage; root characteristics; shoot characteristics | ||||
Statistics Article View: 109 PDF Download: 270 |
||||