Effect of Reusing Perlite and Pumice as a Substrate on Yield and Mineral Composition of Strawberry Plant

摘要

THE EFFECT of re-using perlite and pumice as a substrate, for more than one season, on productivity and fruit mineral composition of strawberry plants was investigated. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, AinShams University during two seasons of 2001/2001 and 2002/2003; strawberry seedlings cv Camarosa were used. Re-using substrates increased the EC, this increase was more obvious with pumice than with perlite; and it was resulted from the accumulation ofsodium chloride. Yield was similar for both substrates but production decreased in proportion of 50 % in case of re-using, pumice stone and 30 % with re-using perlite substrate compared to the new substrates. These differences may be due to changes in the medium EC which were reflected on plant uptake.