Comparative Study Between Peat Moss And Peanut Shell As A Nursery Media

Nursery management practices play a crucial role in the growth and development of plants cultivated within nurseries. This experimental study has been laid out during 2022 and 2023 growing seasons and aimed to investigate the influence of some nursery substrates mixture management on seedlings growth and development. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) shell has gained attention for their versatility and potential application in complete nurseries. The study aimed to explore the feasibility of using grounded peanut shell, as an affordable organic nursery substrate for cultivating seedlings of beans, cucumber, tomatoes, cantaloupe, zucchini, cabbage and lettuce. Different mixtures of grounded peanut shell 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% (v/v), as an alternative of peat moss mixed with in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replicates. Several parameters were assessed. The study evaluates several parameters of seedling growth, such as seedling dry weight, seedling fresh weight, seedling stem diameter, seedling length, seedling leaf area, number of leaves, and the nutrient content (NPK) of the seedling leaves. The results indicate that the most favorable treatment is a mixture of 50% traditional nursery substrate and 50% peanut shell (T3). This combination yielded the best outcomes across the evaluated parameters and economic value. The study illustrated the promising role of peanut shell in promoting seedling growth and development for the specified crops.