Effect of Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizer and Culture Media on Eggplant Transplants Production

Abstract

The present work was done in a private nursery under plastic houses conditions in Belbeis District, Sharkia Governorate (Egypt), during 2014 and 2015 seasons to study the effect of two mineral nitrogen fertilizer treatments and six culture media on seed germination (%), vegetative growth characters, fresh and dry weights, growth analyses and chemical composition of eggplant transplants at 60 days from seed sowing. The obtained results showed that, the maximum values of seed germination (%) were recorded by without application of mineral nitrogen fertilizer and using the culture media treatment of peat moss: vermiculite: compost at a ratio of 2:1:0 (V/V/V), respectively in the first season and at a ratio of 1:1:0 and/or 3:1:0 (V/V/V) in the second season. In addition, all tested fertilizer treatments did not caused any significant effect on all parameters of studied growth characters, except the dry weight of shoots in the first season only, were recorded the highest value by application of mineral nitrogen fertilizer. On the other hand, using the culture media which contained peat moss: vermiculite: compost at a ratio of 3:1:1 (V/V/V), respectively recorded the maximum increment in fresh weight of parts and total fresh weight of whole transplant and had a significant effect on studied fresh weight ratio (FWR), root/plant dry weight ratio (Rw/Pw) characters, as well as on the potassium percentage in the tissue of transplants. The interaction between the culture media contained of peat moss: vermiculite: compost at a ratio of 3:1:0 (V/V/V), respectively with application of mineral nitrogen fertilizer was the superior interaction treatment which had significantly effect on N, P, K and total carbohydrates contents in eggplant transplants, as well as dry weight of different parts of transplant in the second season only.