GROWTH AND YIELD OF HYDROPONIC SWEET PEPPER AS INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC SUBSTRATES

Abstract

Rice husk, coconut coir and sawdust are considered as good growing substrate components, but high water holding capacity causes poor air-water relationship, thus affecting oxygen diffusion to the roots. Incorporation of coarser materials into these substrate components could improve aeration status. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in the semi-green house at the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207 to assess the physicochemical properties of growing substrate mixtures and their effects on growth and yield of soilless sweet pepper. Four types of growing substrate mixtures, viz. M = coconut coir 2 1 = rice husk 3 = sawdust = ash which was not suitable for sweet pepper production while suitable pH 4 . Water holding capacity, air filled porosity and dry weights of substrate mixtures were higher in M 2 II 2 and lower in M . The highest plant height (78.3 cm but statistically similar results were found in case of growth and yield in M 2 . In case of physiological traits viz. leaf area, leaf mass ratio, net assimilation rate and relative growth rate were found highest in M 1 while the lowest in M 2 4 while the lowest in M 4 3 . Therefore, M growing formulation can be used for sweet pepper cultivation in solid hydroponic system in Bangladesh.