College of Horticulture, Xinyang Agriculture and Forestry University, Xinyang, 464000, Henan, China.
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Malaysia.
Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 1;14(1):5147. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55622-4.
Rice husk, an agricultural waste from the rice industry, can cause serious environmental pollution if not properly managed. However, rice husk ash (RHA) has been found to have many positive properties, making it a potential replacement for non-renewable peat in soilless planting. Thus, this study investigated the impact of a RHA composite substrate on the growth, photosynthetic parameters, and fruit quality of cucumber (Yuyi longxiang variety) and melon (Yutian yangjiaomi variety). The RHA, peat, vermiculite, and perlite were blended in varying proportions, with the conventional seedling substrate (peat:vermiculite:perlite = 1:1:1 volume ratio) serving as the control (CK). All plants were cultivated in barrels filled with 10L of the mixed substrates. The results from this study found that RHA 40 (RHA:peat:vermiculite:perlite = 4:4:1:1 volume ratio) significantly enhanced substrate ventilation and positively influenced the stem diameter, root activity, seedling index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of cucumber and melon plants. Additionally, plant planted using RHA 40, the individual fruit weight of cucumber and melon found to increase by 34.62% and 21.67%, respectively, as compared to the control. Aside from that, both cucumber and melon fruits had significantly higher sucrose, total soluble sugar, vitamin C, and soluble protein levels. This subsequently improved the activity of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase in both cucumber and melon. In conclusion, the RHA 40 found to best promote cucumber and melon plant growth, increase plant leaf photosynthesis, and improve cucumber and melon fruit quality, making it a suitable substrate formula for cucumber and melon cultivation in place of peat.
稻壳是稻米加工行业的一种农业废弃物，如果管理不当，可能会对环境造成严重污染。然而，稻壳灰（RHA）已被发现具有许多积极特性，使其成为无土栽培中替代不可再生泥炭的潜在材料。因此，本研究调查了稻壳灰复合基质对黄瓜（豫艺龙祥品种）和甜瓜（豫甜洋香蜜品种）生长、光合参数和果实品质的影响。稻壳灰、泥炭、蛭石和珍珠岩按不同比例混合，以常规幼苗基质（泥炭：蛭石：珍珠岩=1:1:1 体积比）为对照（CK）。所有植物均在装满 10L 混合基质的桶中种植。研究结果发现，稻壳灰 40（稻壳灰：泥炭：蛭石：珍珠岩=4:4:1:1 体积比）显著提高了基质的通气性，并对黄瓜和甜瓜植株的茎直径、根活力、幼苗指数、叶绿素含量、净光合速率（Pn）、气孔导度（Gs）和蒸腾速率（Tr）产生了积极影响。此外，与对照相比，使用稻壳灰 40 种植的黄瓜和甜瓜的单果重分别增加了 34.62%和 21.67%。除此之外，黄瓜和甜瓜果实中的蔗糖、总可溶性糖、维生素 C 和可溶性蛋白含量也显著提高。这继而提高了黄瓜和甜瓜中蔗糖合酶和蔗糖磷酸合酶的活性。总之，稻壳灰 40 被发现最能促进黄瓜和甜瓜植株生长，增加植株叶片光合作用，并改善黄瓜和甜瓜果实品质，是替代泥炭进行黄瓜和甜瓜栽培的合适基质配方。
