ASSESSMENT OF LIFESPAN OF PREPARED GROWTH MEDIA FOR GREENHOUSE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION

Abstract

Agricultural production in Nigeria faces numerous challenges such as erratic weather patterns, pests and diseases, insecurity, etc. Greenhouse technology offers a promising solution to mitigate these challenges and ensure consistent food production. The longevity and effectiveness of prepared growth media are critical factors influencing the productivity and sustainability of greenhouse vegetable production. This study examined the lifespan of a growth media prepared from top soil and cured poultry dropping. The two components were mixed in ratio 3:1 by weight and sterilized with heat at 1500C. This was used to grow two seasons of cucumber and tomatoes consecutively for two years under controlled conditions which minimized the loss of nutrients to the environment. Macro-nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium were analyzed using standard procedure with
reference to Association of Officer Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The results showed that nitrogen and phosphorus in the used media reduced to 0.15 from 0.42 and 0.050 from 0.051, a depletion of 64.29% and 1.96%, respectively while nutrients such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc were reduced to 15.35 mg/kg, 19.05 mg/kg, 8.15 mg/kg and 0.76 mg/kg, respectively. With the levels of the nutrients left after using the growth media for growing vegetables for two years, it will take 3 years before leaving a concentration below 200 mg/kg required to raise vegetable. The concentration of Phosphorous and Zinc will be sufficient to raise vegetable beyond three years. The media is needed to be augmented with an organic source that is rich in Potassium and magnesium in order to meet the vegetable demand. Therefore, the growth media prepared as prescribed in this research can be used for three years to produce vegetables in a Greenhouse with minimized nutrient loss.