ALISSUM GROWTH ON SUGAR CANE BAGASSE SUBSTRATE

Abstract

One of the stages on the characterization of materials used as plant substrate is the cultivation test. This work had the objective of testing sugar cane bagasse as a growing medium for growing alissum (Lobularia maritima). Sugar cane bagasse samples with 6, 12 or 24 months of deposition and particle size between 9,6 and 4,75 mm and smaller than 4,75 mm where tested in comparison to a commercial substrate (pinus bark). The experimental design was in three randomized blocks consisting of seven treatments, being each part composed by five pots with one plant each. Ten centimeter high pots where used for growing plants in a greenhouse for 75 days. Leaf number, total leaf area and shoot and roots dry weight where measured to characterize plant growth. Flowering was also evaluated at the end of the experiment. Results indicated that sugar cane bagasse may be used as growing medium and that substrate samples which are 12 or 24 months old and had a particle size smaller than 4,75 mm originated plants with bigger leaf number and total leaf area than the other materials.