Potential Substitution Of Peat Imported By A Compost-based Substrate Or Co-compost In Nurseries Vegetable Soilless (tunisia)

In modern nurseries, particularly forestry, compost is the first culture substrate for plants production in containers. The main aim of this study is to choose the best from among several pure substrates (based compost or co-compost) or from mixed with peat. For this end, we try to optimize the physical characteristics of the four tested substrates, which are two different types; two substrates from essentially a plant biomass (compost forestry and co-compost multi plants) and the other two coming mainly from animal biomass (rabbit compost and Co-compost). Such substrates and peat (control) were assessed indirectly in gardening nursery (rate of germination and growth plants in height of watermelon and tomato season). The results were encouraging, when the substitution of peat is partial, at 20 to 30% or even 40%. The full use of compost or co-compost for the substitution of peat is not recommended for the production of vegetable plants above ground. Further investigations need to be conducted to confirm the well mixing ratio to be adopted for each growth substrates tested and other vegetable species.