Compost and vermicompost as nursery pot components: effects on tomato plant growth and morphology

Abstract

Post transplant success after nursery stage is strongly influenced by plant morphology. Cultural practices strongly shape plant morphology, and substrate choice is one of the most determining factors. Peat is the most often used amendment in commercial potting substrates, involving the exploitation of non-renewable resources and the degradation of highly valuable peatland ecosystems and therefore alternative substrates are required. Here the feasibility of replacing peat by compost or vermicompost for the production of tomato plants in nurseries was investigated through the study of the effect of increasing proportions of these substrates (0%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 75% and 100%) in target plant growth and morphological features, indicators of adequate post-transplant growth and yield. Compost and vermicompost showed to be adequate substrates for tomato plant growth. Total replacement of peat by vermicompost was possible while doses of compost higher than 50% caused plant mortality. Low doses of compost (10 and 20%) and high doses of vermicompost produced significant increases in aerial and root biomass of the tomato plants. In addition these treatments improved significantly plant morphology (higher number of leaves and leaf area, and increased root volume and branching). The use of compost and vermicompost constitute an attractive alternative to the use of peat in plant nurseries due to the environmental benefits involved but also due to the observed improvement in plant quality.Additional key words: peat moss, plant nursery, soil-less substrate, Solanum lycopersicum L. Resumen Compost y vermicompost como componentes de sustratos artificiales de cultivo en viveros: efectos en el crecimiento y morfología del tomateTanto las prácticas de cultivo en los viveros como la elección del tipo de sustrato tienen una gran influencia sobre la morfología de las plántulas y por lo tanto en su adaptación post transplante. Aunque la turba es uno de los sustratos más utilizados en viveros, su uso conlleva la explotación de un recurso no renovable y la degradación de las turberas, por lo que se hace necesaria la búsqueda de sustratos alternativos que puedan reemplazarla total o parcialmente. En este trabajo se investigó la posibilidad de reemplazar la turba por compost o vermicompost en la producción de plántulas de tomate, mediante el estudio de los efectos de proporciones crecientes de estos sustratos (0%, 10%, 20%, 50%, 75% y 100%) en parámetros morfológicos y de crecimiento claves para la adaptación post transplante. Compost y vermicompost mostraron ser sustratos adecuados para el crecimiento de las plántulas. La sustitución total de la turba sólo fue posible con vermicompost mientras que las dosis de compost mayores que el 50% produjeron la mortalidad de las plántulas. Las dosis bajas de compost (10 y 20%) y altas de vermicompost, produjeron incrementos significativos en la biomasa aérea y radicular de las plantas. Además estas dosis mejoraron de forma significativa su morfología (número de hojas, superficie foliar, volume...

Nursery Soil Amendments for Cashew Seedling Production: A Comparative Analysis of Coffee Husk and NPK

“…However, the application of coffee husk at different sole rates resulted in positive and significant increase in leaf count, stem girth, plant height and leaf area. This is corroborated by some previous results (Rajesh et al, 2003;Veeken et al, 2005;Janvier et al, 2007;Lazcano et al, 2009;Yadessa et al, 2010); amendment of agricultural soils with organic matter as compost resulted in the improvement of the physico-chemical properties of the soil, nutrient release and morphological development of the hosted plants.…”

“…Obatolu and Agboola (1991) had reported that cocoa pod husk (CPH) manure contains high Ca, P, K and sizeable amount of useful organic constituents. The use of coffee husk as an organic amendment has been reported and reccommended by Veeken et al (2005), Janvier et al (2007), Lazcano et al (2009) andYadessa et al (2010). According to them, amending agricultural soils with coffee husk as compost supplies plant nutrients and helps to improve the physicochemical and biological properties of the soil.…”

“…Documented reports (Rajesh et al, 2003;Veeken et al, 2005, Janvier et al, 2007, Lazcano et al, 2009Yadessa et al, 2010) have indicated that amending agricultural soils with organic matter aided plant nutrition and enhanced physicochemical and biological characteristics of the soil on the field. The use of mineral and organic sources of nutrient in varied proportion evolved from long experiences in soil fertility management (Rajesh et al, 2003;Bationo & Waswa, 2011).…”

Effects of organic and biological fertilizers on fruit yield and essential oil of sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce)

“…Compost is an organic fertilizer, which is produced by different microorganisms from organic materials (Lazcano et al, 2009). The addition of compost to agricultural soils supplies nutrients and organic matter, decreases leaching of mineral elements from the soil and also improves soil physical structure (Rantala et al, 1999).…”

Effect of Different Potting Media in Different Potted Croton (Codieum variegatum) Varieties under Shade Net Condition in Allahabad, India

“…anthocyanin and carotenoids and the variegation appearance can be altered by environmental factors, particularly light intensity (Tilney-Bassett, 1988).House plants provide people with aesthetic appreciation and other beneficial effects. Plants can effectively improve the indoor air quality by reducing volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylene, and xylene (Thomsen et al, 2011; Wolverton, 1988), thus reducing the risk of sick building syndrome (Kim et al, 2011).In order to reduce costs and adopt more environmentally-friendly practices, research on alternative substrates is of great interest, and several alternatives have been proposed (Lazcano et al, 2009). The parallel increasing concern in waste recycling has led to the proposal of some organic materials such compost-like substrates (Ostos et al, 2008) In potted plants nowadays soilless media are used as growing media because of its tremendous benefits i.e., good water holding capacity, porosity, aeration and free from water logging conditions and less chances of weed growth, pest and disease infestation.…”