Nitrogen Utilisation of Lowland Cauliflower Grown on Coconut Coir Dust
Strong wind, high rainfall, the spread of diseases during rainy season and pests problems in open field agriculture have led to the current trend in growing vegetables under protected environment. The occurrence of soil borne disease, and limited suitable land for agriculture are some of the reas...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2003
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10660/1/FP_2003_21_A.pdf |
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| Summary: | Strong wind, high rainfall, the spread of diseases during rainy season and pests
problems in open field agriculture have led to the current trend in growing
vegetables under protected environment. The occurrence of soil borne disease,
and limited suitable land for agriculture are some of the reasons to look for
alternative media such as coconut coir dust. The basic properties of coconut coir
dust as a soilless growing medium and the utilisation of nitrogen (N) fertiliser for
the lowland cauliflower grown in them have not been thoroughly investigated and
are therefore not well understood. This study has been conducted by the need to
provide a basis for determining optimal levels/concentration and forms of
nitrogen supply, and by the need to minimize environmental consequences of
lowland cauliflower production. It focuses on the effects of N supply in terms of
different levels of N and ionic N forms in the nutrient solution, on the growth, development and N utilisation of cauliflower grown in coconut coir dust under
greenhouse condition in the lowlands. Based on the plant growth parameters
studied coconut coir dust was found to be more suitable than oil palm empty fruit
bunch as a growing medium. From the growth and development study using
coconut coir dust, it can be deduced that the N requirement by the plant is less at
later growth stage regardless of low or high level of N in the nutrient solution.
However, low level of N of 50 mg r1 was found to be inadequate for plant growth
and curd yield. |
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