Abstract:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the combined application of longan bark compost and maize cob as the growing medium component on the growth performance, yield as well as quality of melon and okra in four experiments. Experiment 1) The analysis of longan barks, maize cob, and biochar from longan barks and maize cob indicated that the higher organic matter content (63.59-66.26%) was obtained from longan barks and maize cobs while maize cob and maize cob biochar had higher total P and K than longan barks and longan bark biochar. The highest total nutrient content was 12.95% found in maize cob biochar. Experiment 2) Longan barks that were decomposed by LDD.1 or Trichoderma harzianum had higher total N, P, K, and total nutrient content than longan bark compost added LDD.1 with T. harzianum. The results of experiment 3) revealed that treatments of growing medium components from chopped coconut coir, sand, and longan bark were mixed in a ratio of 1:1:0.2; chopped coconut coir, sand, chopped corncobs, maize cob biochar mixed in the ratio of 0.5:0.5:0.5:0.5:0.2 application on the growth and fruit quality of melon has better yield and quality than other treatments with fruit weights of 1,059 and 1,011 grams and total soluble solid content of 13.8 and 14.1 %Brix. The highest number of okra fruit was 85 fruits (1,415 grams) per plant obtained from growing medium with a mixture of chopped coconut coir, soil, and longan bark in the ratio of 1:1:0.2 followed by 73 fruits per plant (1,107 grams) obtained from chopped coconut coir, soil, chopped maize cob, maize cob biochar, and longan bark compost mixed in a ratio of 0.5: 0.5: 0.5: 0.5; 0.2 application. Experiment 4) The results of entrepreneurial-level tests indicated that the longan bark decomposed by LDD.1, T. harzianum, and the mixed composition of LDD.1 and T. harzianum were suitable for growing both melon and okra. There was no statistically significant difference in the growth, yield, and yield quality but was lower than with chemical fertilizers. However, all the parameters obtained from plants in each growing medium treatment were significantly lower than those of plants in the control under chemical fertilizer application.