Evaluation of compost prepared from different crop residues and weeds as media for tomato seedling production and the activity of induction enzymes

This study was conducted with the aim of utilizing agricultural residues and harmful environmental weeds to transfore them into a sustainable agricultural input by preparing compost to be used as a medium for producing healthy and robust vegetable seedlings. The study investigates the effects of compost media prepared from okra plant residues (Abelmoschus esculentus), wheat straw (Triticum aestivum), camelthorn (Alhagi graecorum) and wild reed (Phragmites australis) on growth characteristics of tomato seedlings, and the enzymatic activity of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase and chitinase induced in tomato seedlings. The results showed that the compost prepared from okra residues provided the highest germination rate for tomato seeds, reaching 94.79%, followed by the reed compost with a germination rate of 92.70%. The wheat straw compost gave the lowest germination rate for tomato seeds at 87.49%. Additionally, the okra residue compost treatment significantly outperformed other treatments in terms of seedling height, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, leaf area, dry weight of the shoot system, and dry weight of the root system, achieving values of 20.60 cm plant⁻¹, 4.17 mm plant⁻¹, 15.61 mg.g⁻¹, 115.07 cm² plant⁻¹, 0.92 g plant⁻¹, and 0.31 g plant⁻¹, respectively. followed by the Alhagi compost, wheat straw, and reed treatments, while commercial peat moss recorded the lowest values. Moreover, the okra residue compost provided the highest concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, reaching 3.47%, 0.34%, and 3.16%, respectively. Furthermore, the okra residue compost exhibited the highest enzymatic activity of polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and chitinase, reached to 2.62, 3.41, and 2.58 units/mL, respectively.