Preliminary Application Of Mushroom Residue Compound Substrate In Vegetable Seedling Production And Cucumber Cultivation

The increasing area of protected cultivation has result in the increasing demand forsubstrates. Peat substrates are still of great importance for seedling and transplantproduction of vegetables. Depletion of a nonrenewable resource such as peat, andenvironmental deterioration because of peat mining together with its high price in themarket have favoured the utilization of alternative materials as growth substrates.Mushroom residue, can be easily obtained in Hubei, was stutied as growth substrates inthis paper. And its application in seeding production of vegetables and cucumbercultivation were studied. The mixtures of substrates used in following expriments were:peat: vermiculite=2:1, plus compound fertilizer 2.5kg/m~3 (CK), 100% mushroomresidue (MR) (S1), MR:Pig Manure Compost (PMC)=8:1 (S2), MR:PMC=4:1(S3), MR:PMC=2:1 (S4), MR:PMC=1:1 (S5), Peat: vermiculite: perlite=1:1:1 (CK1). The main results were as follows:1. The effect of different substrates (CK, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5) on the growth andphysiological characteristics of cucumber seedling were investigated in this experiment.The results showed that: At the three-true-leaf stage, for Jin You YiHao plant height anddry matter of seedling in S2, S3 were no significant differences compared to those in CK,but stem diameter and leaf areas were significantly higher than those in CK. ForJinChunErHao plant height, stem diameter, leaf areas and dry matter of seedlings in S2,S3, S4 were significantly higher than those in CK. The soluble sugar content in cucumberseedling leaves in S2 was no significant defference compared to that in CK. The solubleprotein content, chlorophyll content in cucumber seedling leaves and the Pn of cucumberseedling leaves in S2, S3, S4 were significantly higher than those in CK. The resultssuggested that S2 (MR:PMC=8:1) and S3 (MR:PMC=4:1) seem to beacceptable substrates for cucumber seedling production.2. The effect of different substrates (CK, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5) on the growth andphysiological characteristics of tomato seedling were studied in this experiment. Theresults showed that: At the four-true-leaf stage, for HeZuo903 plant height of seedling inS3, S4 was no significant defference compared to that in CK, but stem diameter and leafareas were significantly higher than those in CK. For ZaoFeng, stem diameter and drymatter of seedling in S2, S3 were no significant defferences compared to those in CK, butplant height and leaf areas were significantly higher than those in CK. The soluble sugarcontent in tomato seedling leaves in S2 was no significant defference compared to that inCK. The soluble protein content in tomato seedling leaves and root activity of tomato seedling in S2, S3, S4 were significantly higher than those in CK. The chlorophyll contentin tomato seedling leaves and the Pn of tomato seedling leaves in S2, S3, S4 were nosignificant defferences compared to those in CK. The results suggested that S3(MR:PMC=4:1) seem to be acceptable substrates for tomato seedling production.3. The effect of different substrates (CK, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5) on the growth andphysiological characteristics of pepper seedling were studied in this experiment. Theresults showed that: At the six-true-leaf stage, dry weight and root/shoot ratio of seedlingin CK were significantly higher than those in other treatments; there were no significantdifferences in plant heigh, stem diameter and leaf areas between S4, S5 and CK. Thesoluble sugar content, chlorophyll content in seedling leaves and the Pn of seedling leavesin CK were significantly higher than those in other treatments. The soluble protein-content in seedling leaves in S4, S5 was significantly higher than that in CK. Root activityof seedling in S3, S4, S4 was significantly higher than that in CK. The results Suggestedthat mushroom residue compound substrate seem not to be acceptable substrates forpepper seedling production before the six-true-leaf stage.4. Application of mushroom residue substrates in cucumber cultivation were studied.This experiment had 4 treatments (CK1, S2, S3, S4). CK1 treatment had been irrigatingnutrient solution from transplanting, S2, S3, S4 treatments had been irrigating nutrientsolution from that the first female flower was abloom. The results showed that: Irrigatingwater before the first female flower stage, dry matter, leaf areas of cucumber plant andchlorophyll content in cucumber plant leaves and the Pn of cucumber plant leaves inmushroom residue substrates were significantly decreased compared to those in CK1.After irrigating nutrient solution, chlorophyll content in cucumber plant leaves and the Pnof cucumber plant leaves in mushroom residue substrates were no significant differencescompared to those in CK1. The first female flower node of cucumber plant in mushroomresidue substrates was higher than that in CK1. Irrigating water before the first femaleflower stage and then irrigating nutrient solution, mushroom residue substrates decreasedindividual fruit number and free amino acid content in cucumber fruit. There were nosignificant differences in fruit soluble protein content, nitrate content between mushroomresidue substrates and CK1 substrate.