Compost From Rice Straw and Sawdust as Growing media for Pot Plants | ||
| Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences | ||
| Article 5, Volume 43, Issue 5, October 2012, Pages 70-84 PDF (473.44 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ajas.2012.267274 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Naiem El-Keltaw1; Azza Tawfik1; Gamal Hassan1; Omer Ibrahim2 | ||
| 1Department of Horticulture, Fac. Agric., Assiut Univ., Assiut | ||
| 2Floriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Rice straw and sawdust were wetted for certain periods (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 days) and compared with peat moss as growing media for pothos (Scindapsus aureus L.) and Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis). Nutrient element analysis of the composted materials showed a noticeable increase in N, P, and K contents in rice straw and sawdust as a result of composting process. This improvement was more obvious in rice straw where nitrogen content in the end-product reached 3 folds that of the raw material. The increment in nitrogen reflected on lowering C/N ratio and in turn better growth of pothos and gardenia plants. Plants of both species grown in peat moss showed better vegetative growth, flowering and nutrient contents than those grown in rice straw or sawdust. Rice straw-grown plants recorded the next high values of the growth characteristics. The best composts were rice straw and sawdust wetted for either 45 or 60 days even though their pH value and nutrient elements content still not as suitable as peat moss, no significant differences between 45 and 60 days were observed in most cases. Maturity of the compost end-product was tested using germination bioassay. The results were in harmony with those obtained from the pot experiment. | ||
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