Use of sewage sludge and fiber palm co-compost as components of substrates Lycopersicum esculentum and cucumis melo cultivated in soilless crop

The use of different waste materials, Sewage Sludge (SS), Palm Fiber (PF) and Topsoil (TS) as substrates in the production vegetable plants were studied with a special interest on the suitability of palm fiber as growing substrate plants. It was composted during 60 days at equal volume (1:1) with SS. The five substrate mixtures were, T1 = 50% (SS and PF)+50% TS, T2 = 35% (SS and PF)+65% TS, T3 = 25% (SS and PF)+75% TS, T4 = 20% (SS and PF)+80% TS and T5 = 15% (SS and PF)+85% TS. The plant species tested were Lycopersicum esculentum and Cucumis melo. Electritical conductivity and pH substrate were periodically tested along the experiment. The mixture of T1 represented the most convenient substrate to use for L. esculentum regarding the other treatments. For C. melo, the mixtures of T1 and T2 gave the best relative performances. Therefore, it is important to consider the use of sewage sludge and palm fiber can influence positively the physico-chemical properties of horticultural substrate. © 2012 Academic Journals Inc.