Soil-less mixtures as growth media of nursery coffee plants

Abstract

The response of coffee plants to five soil-less growth media was evaluated and compared to the response of coffee plants to the mixture of soil, sugar cane sludge and alluvium currently used in commercial nurseries. The effect in plant development was determined using as criteria: plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and the fresh and dry weight of foliage and roots. Plant development in the mixture of vermiculite, perlite, and peat moss was similar to that of plants grown in the control mixture and greater than in the other four mixtures. The stem diameter and foliage fresh weight of plants in the control mixture was greater than in plants grown in the mixture of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Plants grown in the control mixture had significantly lower Mg and Mn, and higher K content than those in the mixture of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss.