Abstract:
The influences on the growth and root system development of container seedlings of Calotropis gigantea in four different substrates (peat, vermiculite, perlite and red loam) were studied with the 4,3 simplex entered mixture design. This study was mainly analyzed based on the regression equation with the index of biomass, rootshoot ratio and root, growth index above ground as a reference. The results showed that the growth and root system development of container seedlings were significantly affected by the different substrate proportions. The influence rules of different mediums on the height, ground diameter, total dry weigh and root surface area of the container seedling were different, and the influence degree presented as the order: peat > vermiculite > red loam > perlite. The growth of container seedlings cultivated in the No3 treatments (V (peat)∶V (vermiculite)=02∶08) was considered as the better one than that in the other substrate proportions. Therefore, the No3 nursery substrate was the ideal collocation for Calotropis gigantea and recommended for practical production.