APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES IN THE PRODUCTION OF CUCUMBER SEEDLINGS

Abstract

Growing vegetables on the ground is often associated with various problems such as the presence of pests, insufficient soil mineralization or excessive use of pesticides which ultimately leads to environmental pollution and can be dangerous to the health of producers and consumers. To solve these problems, various techniques have been developed, and one of them is the use of different substrates in nursery production in which young plants spend the vast majority of the most sensitive phase of their lives. The substrate can be defined as the substance through which the root of a plant grows and receives water and nutrients. They must be sterile, inert, and should be distinguished by low density, high porosity, good water capacity, good stable structure that ensures good fixation of the plant. At the same time the substrate should have a good cation exchange capacity which allows good plant nutrition, to be neutral pH values with low salt content. Choosing a good substrate is essential for good nursery management and is the basis of a healthy plant root system.
The paper analyzes the possible use of different substrates through cucumber growth parameters. The results of the work point to the conclusion that in nursery production of cucumbers, in addition to commercial ones, alternative substrates can be successfully used, and their use reduces production costs.