Objective  Effects of peanut shell replacing peat soil as the cultivation substrate on the substrate properties and the growth quality of Anoectochilus roxburghii were studied to obtain the optimal substrate ratio for Anoectochilus roxburghii cultivation.

  Method  Five ratios of peanut shell to peat soil, including CK (100% peat soil), N75 (75% peat soil + 25% peanut shell), N67 (67% peat soil + 33% peanut shell), N50 (50% peat soil + 50% peanut shell) and N33 (33% peat soil + 67% peanut shell), were setted to study the physical and chemical properties of the soil and the growth and quality of Anoectochilus roxburghii by pot experiment.

  Result  (1) The replacement of peat soil by peanut shell improved the aeration, water holding capacity and fertility of cultivation substrate. Compared with control, the bulk density of 33% peat soil + 67% peanut shell treatment reduced by 53.84%, maximum water holding capacity and non-capillary porosity increased by 97.14% and 148.35%, and total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and vailable potassium content increased by 7.85%, 67.76%, 1830.53%, resectively, with significant difference. (2) The growth and quality of Anoectochilus roxburghiithe was the best under 33% peat soil + 67% peanut shell treatmentm, the plant height, root length, leaf length, and leaf width of which were significantly better than those of the control group; and the contents of total flavonoids, polysaccharides, free amino acids, and total phenols were significantly increased by 41.57%, 30.59%, 45.08%, and 53.16%, respectively, with significant differences.

  Conclusion  33% peat soil + 67% peanut shell was the optimal ratio as substract for Anoectochilus roxburghiithe by increasing the soil fertility and improving the growth quality.