Effects of organic amendments on tomato yield and electrochemical properties of soilless growing media

Abstract

This research sought to investigate how using organic amendments derived from readily accessible materials affects both tomato production and the electrochemical characteristics of soilless growing media. A greenhouse experiment using six (6) different locally accessible and underutilized composted organic materials [cocoa peat, rice husk, ground Doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) fruit, Iroko (Milicia excelsa) saw dust, mahogany (Khaya senegelensis) saw dust, and Sapele saw dust (Entandophragma cylindricum)] was carried out. Standard procedures were used to determine the physical, chemical, and electrochemical characteristics of the modified materials.The results revealed that the highest water retaining capacity of the media varied from 51.11% to 85.56%. Iroko palm has the highest bulk density (0.94 g cm-3) while Doum palm has the highest particle density (0.81 g cm-3). The results of the study showed that the pH of the medium in KCl ranged from 6.32 to 7.81 and 7.36 to 8.37 for pH in water. The electrical potentials for the different media ranged from -52.01 to -93.38. The point zero charge of soils was shown to be positively correlated to the properties of the medium. The pH, electrical conductivity (ECe), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the media all increased when the media was modified. It is recommended that rice husks and cocopeat be used as growing given their superior performance compared to the other tested media in tomato production. However, because of the cost of producing cocopeat media, rice husk can serve as an alternative to cocopeat as a growing medium. Despite a slight delay in germination in the rice husk media, a high yield was attained at the end of production.