AGRICULTURAL CROPS

PRODUCTION NC I
 What is Growing Media?
➢defined as a substance through
which plant roots grow and extract
water and nutrients.
 Functions of Growing Media
❑supply roots with nutrients, air, and
water,
❑allow for maximum root growth, and
physically support the plant.
 Types of Growing Media
1. Soil – natural layer of the earth that
supports life. It consists of sand, silt, clay
and included also is the organic matter.
SOIL HORIZON/SOIL LAYER
 Types of Growing Media
2. Soilless – any material for growing plants not
containing topsoil. A combination of organic and
inorganic substances that provide sufficient
support for plant growth. Most commonly used
potting mixes for horticultural crops.
3. Hydroponics
➢plants grown primarily in nutrient
solution.
4. Media solution
➢usually used in micropropagation
where media used are made of agar,
sterilized water, reagents of macro and
micro elements, and etc.
 SOIL SOILLESS – COIR DUST

HYDROPONICS MEDIA SOLUTION

 Media Components
Peat moss
➢plant material that
originates in bogs.
➢It has great moisture and
nutrient holding capacity.
Perlite
➢white in color and comes
from heat-treated lava rock.
➢It is used in the soil mix to
aerate the soil.
Vermiculite
➢comes from the mineral mica
and is shiny brown in color.
➢It has high moisture holding
capacity and is very lightweight.
Coir dust
➢fibers from coconut husks which
is hollow and aids in water and
air holding while remaining
lightweight.

Rice hulls
➢are hard protecting coverings of
rice grains or the Carbonized Rice
Hull/CRH
Amendments
➢added to change the
air/water relationship
of mix while adding
nutrients (earthworm
castings, oyster shells,
mychorrhiza,
compost, etc.)
 Good Media Mixtures for
Container Plants
❑100% compost
❑100% soil-less mix
❑25% garden soil + 75% compost
❑25% soil-less mix + 25% garden soil +
50% compost
❑25% garden soil + 75% soil-less mix
❑50% soil-less mix + 50% compost
 Reminders in Mixing Media
✓Correct media mixing is imperative for
successful nursery crop production.
✓Uniformity of the mix is essential to
avoid potential drainage, aeration, and
plant growth problems.
✓When mixing media, uniform quantities
of materials should be added to produce a
consistent, final product from batch to
batch
Reminders in Mixing Media
❑Mixing duration is critical for the
formation of a successful product.
❑Overmixing organic matter like peat
may result in a mix that is too finely
ground, leading to compaction and
decreasing aeration and drainage.
 Reminders in Mixing Media

❑Consider all cost.

❑Avoid over compaction.
❑When deciding which media
components to include in a custom
mix, keep in mind the aeration and
nutrient requirements of the specific
crops to be grown.
Preparation of Growing Media
 Sterilize Growing Media
Soil Sterilization
➢process where soil is subjected to heating
(sun-drying, pouring of boiling water,
steaming), application of pesticides,
fungicide/bactericide, etc. to ensure media
is free from soil-borne pathogens that can
cause damping-off or death of the plants.
 Types of Soil Sterilization
❑ Burning straw on soil surface
❑ Pouring of boiling water on
beds/seedling trays
❑ Application of formaldehyde,
fungicides, nematicides by soil
drenching or fumigation.
❑ Sun-drying
❑ Steaming
 Factors to Consider in Selecting
Seedling Trays/Seed box/Seed
bed/Seedling bags
Seedling trays
➢size and number of holes will depend on
the quantity of seeds to be sown. Available
in plastics/styro. Handy but expensive.
Used for vegetables.
 Factors to Consider in Selecting
Seedling Trays/Seed box/Seed
bed/Seedling bags
Seedbed
➢commonly used by farmers. Size also vary
depending on the numbers of seeds needed
for a particular area. Used for vegetables.
 Factors to Consider in Selecting
Seedling Trays/Seed box/Seed
bed/Seedling bags
Seedling bags/Polyethylene bags
➢commonly used for fruit seeds (ex. Mango,
Pommelo, Pili, Rambutan, Lanzones).
➢Sizes vary depending on the size of the
fruit seeds.
 Factors to Consider in Selecting
Seedling Trays/Seed box/Seed
bed/Seedling bags
Seed box
➢smaller version of seed bed.
➢Size depends on the area to be planted and
the usual shape is rectangle or square.
 Reminder!!!
✓ Seeds grown in nursery are those that
undergo transplanting.
✓ In vegetables, most small seeds are sown
and maintained first in a nursery before
planting to its permanent site.
✓ For fruit crops, seeds planted are used as
stock for asexual propagation.