Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Sour Jujube Seedlings in Different Substrate Formulations
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The research paper titled " Study on Application of Vermicompost as Sour Jujube Seedling Substrate " explores the use of light substrates and vermicompost as alternatives to peat for container seedling raising. The study aims to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources and promote the reuse of organic waste.
The paper presents a comprehensive comparison of the growth and physiological characteristics of sour jujube seedlings grown in different substrate formulations. The results demonstrate significant differences among the various substrates tested. Notably, substrates A2 and A3, which incorporate vermicompost, showed superior performance in terms of seedling height, ground diameter, branching, and overall biomass production.
One of the key findings of the study is the suitability of vermicompost as a replacement for peat in the nursery substrate for sour jujube seedlings. This discovery not only reduces dependence on non-renewable resources but also offers cost-saving opportunities and promising applications.
Furthermore, the research provides valuable insights into the optimal substrate conditions for sour jujube seedlings. The recommended parameters include a soil porosity range of 0.54% to 0.65%, an electric conductivity (EC) value of 0.2 mS/cm, and specific ranges for organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, and available phosphorus.
Overall, this research paper makes a significant contribution to the field of container seedling raising by highlighting the advantages of using light substrates and vermicompost for sour jujube seedlings. The findings have practical implications for reducing environmental impact, minimizing costs, and maximizing the growth potential of this important crop. Future studies can build upon these results and further explore the application of alternative substrates in other plant species.
Suggestions to Authors:
1. Title of article needs to be changed. I suggest them to use title similar to “Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Sour Jujube Seedlings in Different Substrate Formulations”.
2. There are few typo-mistakes in the articles which needs to be addressed before publication.
Questions to authors:
1. In this study, the authors have supplemented vermicompost instead of peat. I would like to ask that is there no previous research which had reported the use of vermicompost as seeding substrate?
2. Is there no seeding production technique avaibale for Chinease Jujube?
The quality of English language is quite sound. There are only few typo errors which needs to be addressed
Author Response
1.I have changed the title to “Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Sour Jujube Seedlings in Different Substrate Formulations”
2.OK, thanks, I will revise them one by one.
3.There is not previous research which had reported the use of vermicompost as sour jujube seeding substrate.
4.Chinese Jujube have seed production technology but take the branches or buds of good varieties of plants to the appropriate parts of the rootstock, so that the two combined to generate new plants, the use of grafting propagation of new plants, that is, to maintain the excellent traits of its parent plant and can use the favorable characteristics of the rootstock (resistance, adaptability, early fruit, etc.). Therefore, the growth of date palm rootstock is particularly important.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript contains interesting research results, but it is not clear from how many years of research they come from. One has to guess that only from one, which reduces their value. The manuscript requires considerable refinement by the authors.
Comments
Line 39 ect., correct functions [2].
Line 86, please add drawing with location of study site.
Line 86, in what years was the study conducted? Was it a one-year experiment?
Line 93, please give characteristics of the weather conditions in the years of the experiments and a more accurate one from a multi-year period
Line 100 etc., correct 0.994 g cm–3
Line 163, please provide full details of the manufacturer of the statistical software
Table 2 etc., correct (g cm–3)
Figure 1 etc., correct mg g−1 24 h−1
Table 3, Figure 2 and 3, please explain what each letter means
Table 4 etc., correct mg g-1
Table 4 and 5, please explain what each letter means
Figure 4, correct g
Figure 4, please explain what each letter stands for
Table 6, what do * and ** mean?
References, please remove publications older than 10 years. Titles in Chinese (?), please provide also in English.
Author Response
I have modified all your suggestions.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
