Evaluation of worm castings-based growing media for high value crops production in greenhouse

蚯蚓粪是蚯蚓的排泄物，营养丰富。Greenscience Technologies是蠕虫铸件的生产商。从各种企业中分离出来的有机废物被用作喂养蠕虫的原料。该公司计划扩大其生产，销售其产品用于生产高价值的温室作物。此外，他们对在每个生产设施使用基于蠕虫铸件的生长介质生产高价值植物感兴趣。探索蠕虫铸件的新市场和高价值温室作物的室内生产（即设施或屋顶花园的高床）可以显着增加公司的收入并增加其弹性。他们主要关注的是为目标植物品种选择正确的生长介质混合物，以实现最大产量和生长速度，同时最大限度地减少根部疾病。有证据表明，蚯蚓粪和生物炭都有能力用作营养丰富的生长介质，改善土壤生物学，提高植物对根部疾病的抵抗力。本研究的目的是研究（i）最合适的蠕虫铸造，生物炭和泥炭混合生长目标温室植物，和（ii）接种菌根真菌对目标植物生产效率的影响。

worm castings are the excreta of earthworms, which is rich in nutrients. Greenscience Technologies is a producer of worm castings. The source separated organic wastes from a variety of businesses are being used as raw material for feeding worms. The company is planning to expand its production with marketing its products for production of high value greenhouse crops. Furthermore, they are interested in producing high value plants using worm castings-based growing media at each production facility. Exploring new markets for the worm castings and in house production of high value greenhouse crops (i.e. raised beds at the facility or rooftop gardens) can significantly increase the revenue of the company and add to its resilience. Their main concern is selection of the right growing media blend for the targeted plant species to achieve maximum yield and growth rate; while minimize root diseases. There are evidences that both worm casting and biochar have the capacity to be used as a nutrient rich growing media, improve soil biology and increase plant resistance to root diseases. The objectives of this study are to study (i) the most appropriate worm casting, biochar and peat blend for growing targeted greenhouse plants, and (ii) the effect of inoculation with mycorrhiza fungi on efficiency of targeted plants production.