International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 208-217 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 208 Research Article Open Access Effect of Growing Media on Germination and Seedling Characteristics of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum c.v. Srijana) in Kaski District Manjita Tiwari 1 , Binayak Sigdel 1, Prapti Ghimire 1, Bishal Shrestha 2 1 Faculty of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, 44200, Nepal 2 Department of Horticulture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal, 44200, Nepal Corresponding author: manjitatiwari033@gmail.com International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.5 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0022 Received: 08 May, 2025 Accepted: 10 Sep., 2025 Published: 02 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Tiwari et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Tiwari M., Sigdel B., Ghimire P., and Shrestha B., 2025, Effect of growing media on germination and seedling characteristics of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum c.v. Srijana) in Kaski district, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(5): 208-217 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0022) Abstract In Nepal, the quality of tomato seedlings is generally low, which often limits overall crop productivity. The use of suitable growing media is crucial for improving seedling performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of seven different growing media combinations on seed germination and seedling growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) to identify the most suitable medium for producing quality seedlings. The experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Kaski, using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The seven treatments included: T1 - soil (control), T2 - cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1), T3 - cocopeat + perlite (1:1), T4 - soil + vermicompost (1:1), T5 - soil + FYM (1:1), T6 - soil + cocopeat (1:1), and T7 - conventional medium (soil + sand + FYM in 1:1:1). Among all treatments, T2 (cocopeat + vermicompost) consistently produced the most robust seedlings, with the highest seedling length (20.44 cm), number of leaves (13.8), fresh weight (1.56 g), and dry weight (0.192 g). Although some traits showed maximum values in other media, T2 outperformed overall in terms of seedling vigor and plant stand percentage (98.58%). Based on these findings, a combination of cocopeat and vermicompost (1:1) is recommended as an optimal growing medium for tomato seedling production under mid-hill conditions in Nepal, due to its effectiveness in enhancing seedling quality. Keywords Tomato; Growing media; Seedling vigor; Germination 1 Introduction Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is recognized as one of the most extensively cultivated vegetable crops worldwide, ranking second after potatoes in terms of consumption and leading among processed vegetable crops (Sharma et al., 2015; Atif et al., 2016). In addition to its culinary value, tomatoes serve important roles in medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry (Dahliani and Darmayanti, 2023). They are rich sources of potassium, fiber, and essential vitamins such as A, C, and K (Ramasami, 2023). In Nepal, tomatoes hold the position of the third most important vegetable crop; however, their productivity has slightly decreased from 19.14 tons per hectare in 2021 to 18.45 tons per hectare in 2023 (MoALD, 2023). One of the primary causes of the decline in output is the inferior seedling quality, which is a direct consequence of the selection of proper growing media during the nursery phase. Traditional soil-based media generally do not meet the optimal physical and chemical requirements needed for vigorous seedling growth (Ati et al., 2016). Even though various alternative substrates have been studied globally, research specific to Nepal's midhill conditions remains limited. Growing media, which provide structural support and nutrients, are generally classified into organic (e.g., vermicompost, cocopeat, farmyard manure) and inorganic (e.g., perlite, sand) types (TM et al., 2020). Cocopeat, a byproduct of coconut fiber processing, is favored for its excellent water retention and aeration properties (Krishnapillai et al., 2020). Vermicompost, which results from the decomposition of organic matter by earthworms, improves nutrient availability and soil structure (Adhikary, 2012), whereas farmyard manure enhances soil fertility and microbial balance (Gama et al., 2015). Besides that, perlite, a thermally expanded volcanic glass, improves aeration and drainage.
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