Lettuce (<i>Lactuca sativa</i>‘Webb’s Wonderful’) shoot and root growth in different grades of compost and vermicomposted compost

Duggan, Timothy R.; Jones, PD

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2016.1146.4

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Vermicomposting is believed to offer a route by which organic waste can be stabilized to a significant extent, converting it into a finished fertilizer [8]. Similar ends can be achieved with composting but composting is an energy-intensive process and the fertilizer value of the composts is known to be inferior to that of vermicomposts [9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of the Vermicomposts of Different Organic Wastes as “Clean” Fertilizers: State-of-the-Art

Hussain

Abbasi

2018

Sustainability

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Vermicomposting is a process in which earthworms are utilized to convert biodegradable organic waste into humus-like vermicast. Past work, mainly on vermicomposting of animal droppings, has shown that vermicompost is an excellent organic fertilizer and is also imbibed with pest-repellent properties. However, there is no clarity whether vermicomposts of organic wastes other than animal droppings are as plant-friendly as the manure-based vermicomposts are believed to be. It is also not clear as to whether the action of a vermicompost as a fertilizer depends on the species of plants being fertilized by it. This raises questions whether vermicomposts are beneficial (or harmful) at all levels of application or if there is a duality in their action which is a function of their rate of application. The present work is an attempt to seek answers to these questions. To that end, all hitherto published reports on the action of vermicomposts of different substrates on different species of plants have been assessed. The study reveals that, in general, vermicomposts of all animal/plant based organic wastes are highly potent fertilizers. They also possess some ability to repel plant pests. The factors that shape these properties have been assessed and the knowledge gaps that need to be bridged have been identified.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of the Vermicomposts of Different Organic Wastes as “Clean” Fertilizers: State-of-the-Art

Hussain

Abbasi

2018

Sustainability

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“…Amendment treatments significantly promoted plant biometric characteristics compared to pure substrates, and in the range 0–30%, plant growth increased with manure dose. This result was ascribable to the improvement in hydraulic characteristics and nutrient availability driven by the manure supply [ 29 ], while the decrease in dry biomass recorded at the 50% dose could be due to a higher electrical conductivity and endowment of phytotoxic elements, such as Na [ 30 ]. Similar results were found in a previous work with MMS-1 and increasing doses of a green compost [ 6 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Lunar and Martian Soils Support Food Plant Production? Effects of Horse/Swine Monogastric Manure Fertilisation on Regolith Simulants Enzymatic Activity, Nutrient Bioavailability, and Lettuce Growth

Caporale

Amato

Duri

et al. 2022

Plants

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To make feasible the crewed missions to the Moon or Mars, space research is focusing on the development of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) designed to produce food crops based on in situ resource utilisation (ISRU), allowing to reduce terrestrial input and to recycle organic wastes. In this regard, a major question concerns the suitability of native regoliths for plant growth and how their agronomic performance is affected by additions of organic matter from crew waste. We tested plant growth substrates consisting of MMS-1 (Mars) or LHS-1 (Lunar) simulants mixed with a commercial horse/swine monogastric manure (i.e., an analogue of crew excreta and crop residues) at varying rates (100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, w/w). Specifically, we measured: (i) lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cultivar ‘Grand Rapids’) growth (at 30 days in open gas exchange climate chamber with no fertilisation), plant physiology, and nutrient uptake; as well as (ii) microbial biomass C and N, enzymatic activity, and nutrient bioavailability in the simulant/manure mixtures after plant growth. We discussed mechanisms of different plant yield, architecture, and physiology as a function of chemical, physico-hydraulic, and biological properties of different substrates. A better agronomic performance, in terms of plant growth and optically measured chlorophyll content, nutrient availability, and enzymatic activity, was provided by substrates containing MMS-1, in comparison to LHS-1-based ones, despite a lower volume of readily available water (likely due to the high-frequency low-volume irrigation strategy applied in our experiment and foreseen in space settings). Other physical and chemical properties, along with a different bioavailability of essential nutrients for plants and rhizosphere biota, alkalinity, and release of promptly bioavailable Na from substrates, were identified as the factors leading to the better ranking of MMS-1 in plant above and below-ground mass and physiology. Pure Mars (MMS-1) and Lunar (LHS-1) simulants were able to sustain plant growth even in absence of fertilisation, but the amendment with the monogastric manure significantly improved above- and below-ground plant biomass; moreover, the maximum lettuce leaf production, across combinations of simulants and amendment rates, was obtained in treatments resulting in a finer root system. Increasing rates of monogastric manure stimulated the growth of microbial biomass and enzymatic activities, such as dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphomonoesterase, which, in turn, fostered nutrient bioavailability. Consequently, nutrient uptake and translocation into lettuce leaves were enhanced with manure supply, with positive outcomes in the nutritional value of edible biomass for space crews. The best crop growth response was achieved with the 70:30 simulant/manure mixture due to good availability of nutrients and water compared to low amendment rates, and better-saturated hydraulic conductivity compared to high organic matter application. A 70:30 simulant/manure mixture is also a more sustainable option than a 50:50 mixture for a BLSS developed on ISRU strategy. Matching crop growth performance and (bio)chemical, mineralogical, and physico-hydraulic characteristics of possible plant growth media for space farming allows a better understanding of the processes and dynamics occurring in the experimental substrate/plant system, potentially suitable for an extra-terrestrial BLSS.

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“…The higher fresh biomass obtained in plants grown on the Martian simulant could be due to the worse physicochemical characteristics of the Lunar substrate, such as the lower water retention capacity and higher pH, and/or the higher ammonium nitrate content of the Martian regolith, as assessed in a complementary study -part 1 [(61), submitted] and discussed as well by Wamelink et al (28). By analyzing the interaction between the tested factors (S x M), the yield reduction observed in plants grown on the substrates containing 50% of manure, especially in the case of LHS-1 simulant, could be due to the increase in electrical conductivity of the substrates by the higher manure content (63). This trend was also analyzed and discussed in a complementary study -part 2 [(64), submitted], which assessed the suitability of these eight MMS-1 or LHS-1/manure mixtures for space food production, by matching their physicochemical and hydraulic characteristics with the lettuce growth performance (biometric and physiological parameters), soil enzymatic activity, and nutrient bioavailability in the growth media at plant harvest time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce Grown in Different Mixtures of Monogastric-Based Manure With Lunar and Martian Soils

et al. 2022

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The supplementation of bioactive compounds in astronaut’s diets is undeniable, especially in the extreme and inhospitable habitat of future space settlements. This study aims to enhance the Martian and Lunar regolith fertility (testing two commercial simulants) through the provision of organic matter (manure) as established by in situ resource utilization (ISRU) approach. In this perspective, we obtained 8 different substrates after mixing Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1) or Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1), with four different rates of manure (0, 10, 30, and 50%, w/w) from monogastric animals. Then, we assessed how these substrates can modulate fresh yield, organic acid, carotenoid content, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profile of lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.). Regarding fresh biomass production, MMS-1-amended substrates recorded higher yields than LHS-1-ones; plants grown on a 70:30 MMS-1/manure mixture produced the highest foliar biomass. Moreover, we found an increase in lutein and β-carotene content by + 181 and + 263%, respectively, when applying the highest percentage of manure (50%) compared with pure simulants or less-amended mixtures. The 50:50 MMS-1/manure treatment also contained the highest amounts of individual and total organic acids, especially malate content. The highest antioxidant activity for the ABTS assay was recorded when no manure was added. The highest content of total hydroxycinnamic acids was observed when no manure was added, whereas ferulic acid content (most abundant compound) was the highest in 70:30 simulant/manure treatment, as well as in pure LHS-1 simulant. The flavonoid content was the highest in pure-simulant treatment (for most of the compounds), resulting in the highest total flavonoid and total phenol content. Our findings indicate that the addition of manure at specific rates (30%) may increase the biomass production of lettuce plants cultivated in MMS-1 simulant, while the phytochemical composition is variably affected by manure addition, depending on the stimulant. Therefore, the agronomic practice of manure amendment showed promising results; however, it must be tested with other species or in combination with other factors, such as fertilization rates and biostimulants application, to verify its applicability in space colonies for food production purposes.

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Lettuce (Lactuca sativa‘Webb’s Wonderful’) shoot and root growth in different grades of compost and vermicomposted compost

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Efficacy of the Vermicomposts of Different Organic Wastes as “Clean” Fertilizers: State-of-the-Art

Efficacy of the Vermicomposts of Different Organic Wastes as “Clean” Fertilizers: State-of-the-Art

Can Lunar and Martian Soils Support Food Plant Production? Effects of Horse/Swine Monogastric Manure Fertilisation on Regolith Simulants Enzymatic Activity, Nutrient Bioavailability, and Lettuce Growth

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce Grown in Different Mixtures of Monogastric-Based Manure With Lunar and Martian Soils

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