Efficiency of Some Natural Substitutes of Peatmoss as Growing Media for Tomato Seedlings Production

3 Abstract: A greenhouse trail was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of some types of prepared compost as growing media for tomato seedling production. Four types of compost were prepared by composting rice straw (RS), poultry manure (PM) and banana wastes (BW) as ground materials. The prepared growing media were derived by composting the above raw wastes pile compost mixtures (comp. mix. No. 1), and the other three piles with some additional materials i.e. microbial inoculation (comp. mix. No. 2), microbial inoculation + rock phosphate + feldspar (comp. mix. No. 3) and tea compost (compost mix. No. 4). The four compost mixtures along with peat moss (control) were subjected to either compost washing or unwashing, to compost enriched with nutrients or no and to compost mixing with either vermiculite or sand (ratio of 1:1 for both materials), comprising 54 treatments. Tomato seeds were sown on those growing media for 45 days. The fresh and dry weights of the growing seedlings as well as macro and micro nutrients uptake were determined. The obtained results could be briefly summarized in the following: Effect of compost type (A): The highest values of fresh and dry weights of tomato seedlings as wel l as macro (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn. Zn and Cu)uptake were recorded under growing media of peat moss (control) and compost type No. 4 (RS+BW+PM + tea compost). Effect of mixing components (B): T he values of fresh and dry weights and N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu uptake by tomato seedlings were significantly higher when mixing component of 50 % vermiculite + 50% compost or peat moss was added than both (50% sand + 50 % compost) and 100 % compost or peat moss. Effect of nutrients enrichment (C): The non-enriched treatments gave significantly higher values of fresh and dry weights of tomato seedlings as well as N, p, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu uptake as compared with those enriched treatments. Moreover, the enriched peatmoss (control) gave significantly higher values of macro and micronutrients uptake by tomato seedlings as compared with those non- enriched treatments. W ashing effect (D): All the compost types which were subjected to washing gave significantly higher increases in fresh and dry weights of tomato seedlings as well as macro and micro nutrients uptake than those treatments which were not washed. Effect of interaction between A and B: The interaction between the compost mixture (A) and mixing component (B) significantly affected all the parameters under study i.e. fresh and dry weights of tomato seedlings as well as N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu uptake. The highest significant values of fresh and dry weights of tomato seedlings were obtained by using compost mixture No.1 and mixing component of 50% vermiculite +50%compost or peat moss. The highest values of N, P, K, Fe, Zn and Cu were found when the compost mixture No.3 and the mixing component 50% vermiculite +50% compost or peat moss were used, while the highest values of Mn uptake were found under compost mixture No.4 and the same mixing component. Effect of interaction between A and C: The highest significant values of fresh and dry weights as well as N, P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn uptake by tomato seedlings were found under non-enriched treatments and using compost mixture No. 4, while the highest values of Cu uptake were found under non-enriched treatments and compost mixture No. 3. Effect of interaction between B and C: The highest significant values of fresh and dry weights as well as N,