Application of different doses of compost as a substitution of the commercial substrate in nursery for pepper and tomato seedlings

Purpose The decreasing number of peatlands has driven the search for new cultivation substrates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of different composts as growing media in the production of vegetable seedlings (pepper and tomato). Method Composts were produced from: discarded carrots (Z...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fiasconaro, Maria Laura, Abrile, Mariana Guadalupe, Hintermeister, Lucia, Antolin, Maria Del Carmel, Lovato, Maria Eugenia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/216383
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/216383
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:COMPOST
GROWING MEDIA
NURSERY
PEPPER
TOMATO
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose The decreasing number of peatlands has driven the search for new cultivation substrates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of different composts as growing media in the production of vegetable seedlings (pepper and tomato). Method Composts were produced from: discarded carrots (ZC), fats (FC), and biosolids (BC) from the dairy industry. They were used as peat substitutes in different doses depending on the germinating species: control (CS-commercial substrate) and three growing media prepared with perlite: 25, 35, and 45% of ZC, FC, and BC for pepper seedlings and 40, 55 and 70% of ZC, FC, and BC for tomato seedlings. When the plants were ready for transplantation they were harvested and the data were collected to assess the development of the seedlings in the different growth media. Results The obtained results suggest the possibility of total substitution of the CS by ZC, FC, and BC to produce pepper and tomato plants in commercial nurseries. The plants cultivated with composts presented higher concentrations of total dry matter compared to the controls. Photosynthetic pigments were affected by the presence of FC and BC, whereas TSP concentration was favored by BC. Conclusion Ours results suggest that it is feasible to perform a total substitution of commercial substrates with composts of different origins and compositions for the production of pepper and tomato plants in commercial nurseries.