Study on nutrient level of various potting media and its effect on vegetative and root characteristics in dieffenbachia

An investigation carried out to assess the nutrient level of various potting media and its effect on different growth and root attributes in Dieffenbachia amoena. The treatment consisted of different combinations of soil, sand, FYM, leaf mould, vermicompost and poultry manure. The maximum plant height, number of leaves/plant, diameter of shoot was exhibited with sand + soil (1:1, v/v) media. However, sand + vermicompost exerted maximum number of sprouts/plant. All root characters i.e. number of roots/plant, length of root, diameter of root, fresh and dry weight of roots/plant were maximum with sand + FYM (1:1, v/v) media. At the time of potting maximum nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content was noticed with soil + poultry manure media. However, maximum reduction of nitrogen (4.90 g/pot) was recorded with sand + FYM, sand + leaf mould, soil + leaf mould (1:1) and maximum reduction of phosphorus (4.20 g/pot) was observed with sand + leaf mould, soil + poultry manure, soil + FYM (1:1), whereas maximum potassium reduction (6.30 g/pot) was recorded with sand + soil + vermicompost (1:1:1).