The environmental impact of crop wastes and the high cost of peat moss
(PM) force scientists to find alternative growing media. In a pot experiment,
peanut shell (PS) and corn wastes (CWs) were evaluated as growing
media in comparison with PM in three different mixing ratios with washed
sand. The mixing ratio were M1¼1:1 raw material to sand, M2¼1:2 raw
material to sand, and M3¼1:3 raw material to sand. The tested plant was
lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The obtained results showed that PS medium
contained available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) higher by 121% and
38% above the PM medium. Availability of potassium (K) in CW medium
was higher by 167% than PM. The EC, pH, OC, and C/N ratio of PM were
higher by 227%, 4%, 128%, and 99% above the CW and by 1,473%, 9%,
74%, and193% above the PS, respectively. The highest significant values of
growth parameters were recorded in PM medium. The highest total cost
and lowest net profit were recorded with the use of PMM1, whereas the
lowest cost and the highest net profit were obtained with PSM2.
Physiochemical characteristics of peanut shell suggested that it can be economical
alternative growing media for PM.