Summary: | The use of organic agricultural waste as fertilizer could reduce dependency on chemical fertilizer in turfgrass establishment. In Malaysia, one of the abundant organic wastes that can be used for that purpose is the mushroom medium residue (MMR). Hence, in this study, the effects of different soil: MMR mixtures on Zoysia matrella growth was
examined in a CRD polybag experiment in an open field. Soil from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Sandakan campus and MMR from a mushroom factory in Mesilau, Kundasang, Sabah were mixed at 1: 0 (control), 1: ¼, 1: ½, 1: ¾ , 1: 1, and
0: 1 (weight/weight) soil to MMR with each treatment had five replicates. The turfgrass was cultivated on these planting media mixtures in (37 x 35 x 7.5 cm) polybags and
placed in an open area. Within a span of four months, the chemical and physical properties of the mixtures (pH, moisture content, organic matter content (OM), total
organic carbon content (TOC) and total nitrogen (N) content) were determined. Several turfgrass growth and quality parameters including shoot density, stolon growth,
internodes length, leaf width, leaf colour, rigidity and strength of turfgrass were also recorded. All data were statistically compared across the treatments. The 1: 1 (soil: MMR) resulted in the ideal pH, moisture content, OM and TOC at the beginning and even towards the end of the experiment. The Z. matrella in the 1: 1 ratio was found to
have a better quality than that in the 1: ½. Hence, the 1: 1 ratio is recommended as the ideal ratio, as it improved chemical and physical properties of the soil and the
growth and quality of the Z. matrella. Over application of MMR beyond the 1: 1 ratio did improve the quality of the Z. matrella, but the benefit is thought to be short-term
Over application of MMR caused high initial mortality rate of the turfgrass, which can be costly in field practice. From the finding of this study, the 1: 1 is recommended as
the soil to MMR ratio for Z. matrella planting in the selected area in UMS Sandakan campus or at any construction sites in Sabah which has soil characters similar to that of this study. Caution should be taken, however, not to over apply the MMR in turf establishment.
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