Comparison of different compost materials for growing strawberry plants

Optimal strawberry production requires a favorable environment and availability of essential nutrients for growth. Nutrients are required in the optimal quantity, to aid the growth of strawberry plants. Hence this study was conducted to analyze the effectiveness of the growth of strawberry plants in different media. Two compost (A and B) were used as growing media. Compost A commercial compost named Bio plus (Cocopeat) was a standardized compost made of coconut and other biodegradable materials which are commonly used in South Korea for vegetable production. Compost B was prepared from the mixture of poultry manure and sawdust (wood chipping mill) using a concrete mixer while maintaining a C/N ration of 65 and 25%, respectively. Four treatments were used for the growth of strawberry plant including T1: Bio plus compost; T2 (15% of compost B with sandy loam soil); T3 (30% of compost B with sandy loam soil); T4 (45% of compost B with sandy loam soil). A significant increase (p<0.05) in plant height (19.90±0.55 cm), number of leaves (8.55±0.22), leaf area (37.50±0.53 cm²), canopy spread (24.52±0.32 cm), fresh weight of leaves (1.15±0.04) and dry weight of leaves (0.51±0.02) was observed in T4 followed by T1. Higher root length was observed at T2 (13.90±0.88 cm) followed by T3 (11.44±0.76 cm). It was concluded that organic amendments such as poultry manure with sawdust positively influenced the growth of the strawberry plant. Also, treatment T4 (45% mixture of Compost B and sandy-loam soil) could be used as an alternative growth medium instead of commercial compost for the growth of strawberries plant.