| Abstract:The aim of this study is to obtain the optimum proportion of perlite and vermiculite to compost maize stalks/mushroom for a good growing media in cucumber seedling,and it could be horticulturaly acceptable as an alternative for commercial substrate or cucumber seedling culture.In the experiment,we studied the effects of physical and chemical properties of different treatments on cucumber seedlings.Three treatments were set with mushroom: T1 (mushroom: vermiculite=1∶2,volume ratio),T2 (mushroom: vermiculite=1∶3,volume ratio),T3 (mushroom∶vermiculite∶perlite=1∶1∶1,volume ratio).The maize stalks were used for two treatments:T4 (corn stalks∶vermiculite∶perlite=1∶1∶1,volume ratio),T5 (corn stalks∶vermiculite=1∶1,volume ratio).And we took ‘Jinchun 4’ cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.) as experimental material and traditional commercial substrate (peat∶vermiculite=2∶1,volume ratio) as control.Each experiment was repeated three times and all treatments were only irrigated water.The results indicated that,T2 with mushroom were better than CK in the leaf area of fresh mass of shoot,fresh mass of root,dry mass of shoot,dry mass of root,dry mass of plant,seedling index,root shoot ratio,root activity and soluble protein of cucumber ,the root shoot ratio and chlorophyll of cucumber in T2 had no significant difference with CK.But every index in T1 and T3 was lower than CK.The cucumber fresh mass of shoot,dry mass of shoot,root activity and soluble protein of T4 were better than CK,and other growth indexes and chlorophy11 of T4 had no significant difference with CK.But every index of T5 was lower than CK.At the same time,the comprehensive evaluation coefficient of T2 and T4 (was 0.96,0.60 respectively) were more than 0.50,but T1,T3,T5 were less than 0.20.In conclusion,T2 (mushroom∶vermiculite=1∶3,volume ratio) and T4 (corn stalks∶vermiculite∶perlite=1∶1∶1,volume ratio) were horticulturaly acceptable as an alternative for commercial substrate or cucumber seedling culture. |
