Articles
Turning pomegranate peel waste into a biostimulant for hydroponic butter lettuce cultivation under reduced nutrient conditions
Article number
1466_52
Pages
431 – 438
Language
English
Abstract
Hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) enables fast production; however, the recurring cost of nutrient solutions limits its widespread adoption.
This study evaluated the efficacy of a phenolic-rich organic pomegranate peel biostimulant on butter lettuce growth under a reduced nutrient regime.
Thus, in a greenhouse nutrient film technique (NFT) trial, the biostimulant was applied at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% (B1, B2, and B3) under both full nutrient (100%; N100) and reduced nutrient (85%; N85) regimes.
The study used 20 NFT systems, each containing 12 plants; six plants per system were measured repeatedly.
Fresh weight, colour, and leaf number were assessed throughout the growth cycle.
Under the full nutrient regime, biomass accumulated along largely parallel trajectories, and the biostimulant did not improve fresh weight, whereas higher concentrations reduced final fresh weight.
In contrast, under reduced nutrient conditions, treatment differences became evident from mid-cycle onward.
At harvest, the biostimulant at 0.1% under the reduced regime maintained a fresh weight comparable to that under the full nutrient regime, whereas higher doses progressively constrained growth.
Leaf number diverged earlier than biomass under the reduced nutrient regime, indicating a higher leaf number without proportional increases in weight.
Leaf colour remained stable across treatments, suggesting that a marketable appearance was maintained.
Overall, the organic pomegranate peel biostimulant did not stimulate growth under the full nutrient regime.
Under the reduced nutrient regime, the lowest extract concentration produced fresh weight comparable to the full nutrient control, whereas higher extract concentrations reduced biomass accumulation.
These results identify 0.1% as the best-performing tested concentration and support further factorial testing of pomegranate peel extract under reduced nutrient supply.
This study evaluated the efficacy of a phenolic-rich organic pomegranate peel biostimulant on butter lettuce growth under a reduced nutrient regime.
Thus, in a greenhouse nutrient film technique (NFT) trial, the biostimulant was applied at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% (B1, B2, and B3) under both full nutrient (100%; N100) and reduced nutrient (85%; N85) regimes.
The study used 20 NFT systems, each containing 12 plants; six plants per system were measured repeatedly.
Fresh weight, colour, and leaf number were assessed throughout the growth cycle.
Under the full nutrient regime, biomass accumulated along largely parallel trajectories, and the biostimulant did not improve fresh weight, whereas higher concentrations reduced final fresh weight.
In contrast, under reduced nutrient conditions, treatment differences became evident from mid-cycle onward.
At harvest, the biostimulant at 0.1% under the reduced regime maintained a fresh weight comparable to that under the full nutrient regime, whereas higher doses progressively constrained growth.
Leaf number diverged earlier than biomass under the reduced nutrient regime, indicating a higher leaf number without proportional increases in weight.
Leaf colour remained stable across treatments, suggesting that a marketable appearance was maintained.
Overall, the organic pomegranate peel biostimulant did not stimulate growth under the full nutrient regime.
Under the reduced nutrient regime, the lowest extract concentration produced fresh weight comparable to the full nutrient control, whereas higher extract concentrations reduced biomass accumulation.
These results identify 0.1% as the best-performing tested concentration and support further factorial testing of pomegranate peel extract under reduced nutrient supply.
Publication
Authors
B.B. Morris, Y. Silue, O.A. Fawole
Keywords
agro-waste, biostimulant, hydroponic cultivation, nutrient reduction, pomegranate peel extract
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