SOILLESS GROWING MEDIA AMENDED WITH SUGARCANE FILTERCAKE COMPOST FOR CITRUS ROOTSTOCK PRODUCTION

Seeds of sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and Cleopatra mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco) were sown in Speedling trays filled with mixtures ( v:v) of 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100 percent sugarcane filtercake compost (a n atural waste by-product of sugarcane processing mills; bagasse) and a peat-lite medium. Seeds sown in 100 percent compost resulted in lower total percent germination, but similar mean days to emergence (MDE), s eedling heights, and shoot weights and lower root weights than the con trol (100 percent peat-lite medium). Media amended with 25, 50 or 75 p ercent compost resulted in similar total percent emergence, (MDE) and root weights, but taller seedlings with heavier shoots than the contro l. SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter readings, and leaf N, Ca and Zn contents were higher for seedlings produced in compost amended media than in 1 00 percent peat-lite medium. The results suggest that compost derived from sugarcane filtercake can be successfully utilized as an amended m edium for citrus seedling rootstock production.