Effect of salinity and composition of growing media on growth and yield of ribbed gourd in soilless culture under matric suction irrigation

Particulate organic/ mineral matter can be suitable substrates for composing soilless media, if the salinity and method of wetting the media are properly handled. To standardize an appropriate method, a soilless experiment was conducted in an open wasteland area in pandal system under matric suction irrigation during Rabi 2019–2020. Five growing media and three salinity levels were tested. For composing the growing media equal proportion (on weight basis) of substrates viz., coirpith, vermicompost, flyash, green manure (Daincha) and sand were mixed in different combination. Ribbed gourd CoH-1 was raised in growing media in containers that were interconnected by tubs and tubes to maintain moisture always by matric suction. The results revealed that the growing media having Coirpith: Vermicompost: Green Manure: Sand with salinity of 0.5–1.0 dS m-1 registered the highest fruit yield (8.884 kg pot-1) and water use efficiency (312.1 kg fresh fruit mm-1). Growth and yield of crop decreased with increase in media salinity from 0.5 to 3.0 dS m-1.