Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.63xsj3vhm

Description of the data and file structure

This dataset supports the manuscript “Effects of Treated Spent Mushroom Substrate on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Growth Performance of Maize (Zea mays L.).”

This dataset was generated from a 75-day greenhouse pot experiment conducted from February to April 2025 at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The experiment used a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replications. Treatments included an untreated control, recommended NPK fertilizer, and treated spent mushroom substrate derived from oil palm frond, SMSF, or oil palm empty fruit bunch, SMSE, applied at 50 %, 75 %, or 100 % rates in combination with recommended NPK fertilizer. Maize was grown in 20 kg of tropical Ultisol soil per pot, maintained at approximately 60–70 % of water-holding capacity, and harvested 75 days after planting. Data were collected on post-harvest soil physicochemical properties and maize growth and yield characteristics to evaluate the effects of SMS type and application rate on soil quality and crop performance.

Files and variables

The dataset contains two Microsoft Excel workbooks, result_3.1.xlsx and result_3.2.xlsx. Each workbook contains one worksheet, named Sheet1, with 24 observations representing eight treatments and three independent pot replications per treatment. The data were collected during a 75-day greenhouse experiment evaluating spent mushroom substrate amendments and recommended NPK fertilizer in maize grown under tropical soil conditions.

Treatment codes and abbreviations

• TRT: Treatment code.
• Rep: Independent pot replication, coded R1, R2, or R3.
• SMS: Spent mushroom substrate.
• SMSF: Spent mushroom substrate derived from oil palm frond.
• SMSE: Spent mushroom substrate derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch.
• NPK: Mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Treatment codes are defined as follows:

• T1: 0 % NPK, untreated control.
• T2: 100 % recommended NPK fertilizer.
• T3: 100 % SMSF plus 100 % recommended NPK.
• T4: 75 % SMSF plus 100 % recommended NPK.
• T5: 50 % SMSF plus 100 % recommended NPK.
• T6: 100 % SMSE plus 100 % recommended NPK.
• T7: 75 % SMSE plus 100 % recommended NPK.
• T8: 50 % SMSE plus 100 % recommended NPK.

File 1: result 3.1.xlsx

This file contains replicate-level measurements of post-harvest soil physicochemical properties.

• TRT: Treatment code, T1 to T8.
• Rep: Pot replication, R1 to R3.
• pH: Post-harvest soil pH, unitless.
• Electrical Conductivity(dS/m): Soil electrical conductivity, EC, measured in decisiemens per meter, dS m ^-1. “Conducticity” in the column heading is a spelling error and refers to conductivity.
• Soil moisture( %): Post-harvest soil moisture content, expressed as a percentage.
• Bulk density (g cm ^-3): Soil bulk density. The values are expressed in grams per cubic centimeter, g cm ^-3, equivalent to megagrams per cubic meter, Mg m ^-3. The unit “mg/cm3” in the spreadsheet heading is a typographical error.
• CEC(cmol/kg): Soil cation exchange capacity, expressed as centimoles of positive charge per kilogram of soil, cmolc kg ^-1.
• Organic Matter(%): Soil organic matter concentration, expressed as a percentage.
• Organic Carbon(%): Soil organic carbon concentration, expressed as a percentage.
• Nitrogen (%): Total soil nitrogen concentration, expressed as a percentage.
• Available P (ppm): Plant-available soil phosphorus, expressed in parts per million, equivalent to mg kg ^-1.

File 2: result 3.2.xlsx

This file contains replicate-level measurements of maize growth and yield characteristics.

• TRT: Treatment code, T1 to T8.
• Rep: Pot replication, R1 to R3.
• girth (mm): Maize stem girth, measured in millimeters.
• Height (cm): Maize plant height, measured in centimeters.
• spad value: Relative leaf chlorophyll content measured using a SPAD chlorophyll meter, unitless.
• leaf area(cm2): Area of the maize ear leaf, measured in square centimeters, cm².
• Cob length(cm): Maize cob length, measured in centimeters. “Corb” in the column heading is a typographical error and refers to cob.
• Cob weight(g): Fresh cob weight, measured in grams.
• Number of grain: Number of grains recorded per cob, expressed as a count.
• Yield (t/ha): Estimated maize grain yield, expressed in metric tonnes per hectare, t ha ^-1.

Missing values

There are no blank cells, “NA” entries, or other missing-value codes in either data file. Numeric zero values are retained as recorded observations and are not used to indicate missing data.

Software and statistical analysis

The dataset is provided in Microsoft Excel .xlsx format and can be viewed using the free and open-source software LibreOffice Calc, or any spreadsheet program that supports .xlsx files.

Statistical analyses were conducted using R version 4.3.1 and JASP version 0.17.2. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replications. Each soil physicochemical, maize growth, and yield variable was analyzed separately using one-way analysis of variance, with treatment included as the explanatory factor.

Before ANOVA, the data and model residuals were examined for normality and homogeneity of variance. When the treatment effect was significant at the 5 % probability level, p ≤ 0.05, Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference test was used for pairwise comparisons among treatment means. Treatments assigned the same letter were considered not significantly different, whereas treatments with different letters were considered significantly different.

The principal analyses can be reproduced in R using functions from the base stats package, including aov() for one-way ANOVA and TukeyHSD() for post-hoc comparisons. JASP was used through its graphical interface to conduct or verify the statistical analyses and review the outputs.

No custom R scripts, macros, software project files, or executable code are included in this dataset submission.

Access information

At the time of submission, these data are not available through any other publicly accessible repository or website. The data were generated directly by the authors during the greenhouse pot experiment and were not derived from any external dataset or secondary data source.

The complete dataset will be publicly accessible through Dryad after publication of the dataset record. The final Dryad DOI should be used as the permanent link to the data once it has been assigned.

No third-party data licenses apply because the deposited data are original research data produced by the authors.