Effect of different growth media on biometric parameter of brinjal and chilli seedlings under shade net house

The study was undertaken for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) to evaluate the effect of different growth media on various growing parameters and incidence of insect pest on brinjal and chilli seedlings. Seedlings were grown in protray using six types of growing media. The highest germination percentage (71.11), plant height (11.05 cm), number of leaves (5.81) and percentage healthy seedlings (89.82) were observed with vermiculite + perlite + vermi- compost (1:1:2) during both the years in brinjal. Similarly in chilli, highest germination percentage (66.33), plant height (9.81 cm), number of leaves (5.62) and percentage healthy seedlings (87.61) were observed with vermiculite + perlite + vermi-compost (1:1:2). There was significantly low incidence of whitefly in brinjal (1.49 whitefly/leaf) and chilli (1.65 whitefly/ leaf) seedling grown in media with vermiculite + perlite + vermi-compost (1:1:2). Hence, vermiculite + perlite + vermi-compost (1:1:2) was found as optimum growth media for growing of chilli and brinjal seedlings. The findings of this study recommend the use of vermiculite + perlite + vermi-compost (1:1:2) as growth media for raising nursery by farmers as it had significant positively effect on plant growth parameters of seedlings that lead to increase production of chilli and brinjal.