Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum physical and chemical properties of the composts for raising seedlings of cucumbers, eggplants and tomatoes.
1. In cucumber, the best growth was obtained from the mixture of 1 soil (volcanic ash soil): 3 leaf-mold (by volume) containing 100mg/
l N (ammonium sulfate), 1, 0004, 000mg/
l P
2O
5 (superphosphate of lime) and 400mg/
l K
2O (potassium sulfate). To obtain the uniform vegetative growth, transplanting of the seedlings to this compost were more desirable after cotyledon fully expanded in sand beds with no fertilizer. The applications of heavy N and insufficient P
2O
5 inhibited the growth of seedlings, while potassium fertilization in the range of 0_??_800mg/
l resulted in no significant differences in growth.
Analyses of seedling showed that N, P, K contents of the normally growing 4-week-old plants were 5.3_??_5.9%, 0.5_??_0.6%, 5.7_??_6.6% of dry matter, respectively.
2. Egg-plant grown in a mixture of 3 soil: 1 leaf-mold with 200mg/
l N, 2, 000_??_4, 000mg/
l P
2O
5 and 200mg/
l K
2O made better growth, though statistically it was at par with either treatments viz., 2 soil: 2 leafmold and 1 soil: 3 leaf-mold composts.
As in case of cucumber, the application of heavy N and insufficient P
2O
5 decreased the vegetative growth of egg-plant seedlings, with no positive effects of potassium fertilization in the range of 0_??_800mg/
l.
N, P and K contents of the normally growing 4-week-old seedlings were 6.0_??_6.9%, 0.4_??_0.5%, and 6.8_??_7.3% of dry matter, respectively.
3. Tomatoes made better growth in a compost, mixture of 2 soil: 2 leaf-mold with 25_??_100mg/
l N, 1, 000_??_4, 000mg/
l P
2O
5 and 100_??_400mg/
l K
2O.
N, P and K contents of the normally growing 2-week-old seedlings were 6.4_??_6.5%, 0.5_??_0.6% and 5.1_??_5.9%, and the corresponding figures in 4-week-old seedlings were 5.2_??_5.9%, 0.4_??_0.5% and 6.2_??_7.0%, respectively.
4. A clear negative relationship was found between N and K contents of the seedlings, that is there occurred the depression of K uptake by excess, of N, and
vice versa.
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