Effect of Oil Palm Frond Compost Amended Coconut Coir Dust Soilless Growing Media on Growth and Yield of Cauliflower

This research report is about the potential of coconut coir dust (CD) amended with oil palm frond (OPF) compost soilless growing media for cauliflower cultivation. Five different soilless growing media comprising of CD alone and as mixtures of CD and peat [CDP]; CD and OPF compost A (CDCa); CD and OPF compost B (CDCb); CD and OPF compost C (CDCc) were evaluated in a tropical humid planthouse. The treatment CDCa provided optimum plant growth conditions of cauliflower throughout the growing period due to superiority in physiological traits (stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content in leaves) and higher rate of nutrients uptake resulting maximum total dry mass production thereby economic yield i.e., production of biggest curd (302 g/plant). Moreover, Plants grown on CDCa media mature six days earlier than the control plants. Therefore, plants grown in soilless growing medium, CDCa might suitable growing medium for commercial cultivation of cauliflower in tropical conditions. (C) 2013 Friends Science Publishers