Alternative Growing Media for Producing Squash Transplants in North Sinai Region

Abstract

The objective of this study was to use alternative media for producing summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) transplants in the North Sinai Region. The experiment was conducted at the research farm in Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, during the summers of 2021 and 2022. Different growing media for producing transplants of squash, cv. Escandrany, were used, including five substrate media: a control treatment of peat moss + vermiculite (commercial media), commercial media + biochar, commercial media + sawdust, commercial media + soil, and commercial media +chicken manure, all growing media were used at rate 1:1(v:v). The parameters that have been measured were; the germination percentage, and its rate, quality of transplants as (height of transplants, number of leave, fresh weight, stem diameter, dry weight and growth vigor), leaf photosynthetic pigments contents and N, P and K contents of the transplants leaves. Results showed that using commercial media, commercial media + sawdust, and commercial media + biochar led to increasing the germination percentage and improved transplants morphology characters (transplants height, number of leave, fresh weight, stem diameter, dry weight and growth vigor), leaf photosynthetic pigments content and N, P and K contents compared to commercial media + soil and commercial media + chicken manure, which had the lowest values. In addition, the economic study showed that the use of sawdust and biochar for production of squash transplants led to reduce the cost of transplants production by rate of 3.87% and 0.66%, respectively compared to control treatment.