Application of Coir Pith as a Plant Growing Medium for Tomato Tree Plantation
Abstract
Coir pith, a byproduct during coir fibre extraction from coconut husk, is gaining research interest as a plant growing medium in recent years. Before using coir pith as a plant growing medium, it should be modified to maintain specific physical, chemical and biological properties. Especially availability of micronutrients or macronutrients in the coir pith depends on pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of the medium. In this paper, coir pith (particle size 212 – 425 µm and 500 – 850 µm) was used as plant growing medium. Experiment was conducted on tomato trees in different medium, such as pure coir pith (100%), 50% coir pith with 50% soil, and pure soil (100%). Experiment was conducted for 86 days. Different data, such as height of trees, stem diameter, number of flowers obtained, and numbers of fruits obtained were recorded at a regular interval up to the end date. Comparison studies were done for different medium and suitable plant growing medium was identified for tomato tree plantation. Plant growth in terms of height and stem diameter was obtained maximum for sample which contains 50% coir pith (particle size 212 – 425 µm) and 50% soil. Overall studies indicate that coir pith along with soil can be utilized as an excellent plant growing medium for tomato tree plantation.
