THE USE OF COMPOSTED SEPARATED CATTLE MANURE AND GRAPE MARC AS PEAT SUBSTITUTE IN HORTICULTURE

Various composted agricultural wastes have been used lately as peat substitute in horticulture.
Slurry from cattle manure was separated to liquid and solids.
The liquid was used as fertilizer while the solids were composted in windrows.
Grape residues obtained after wine processing were also composted.
The composted separated manure (CSM) and the composted grape marc (CGM) were tested as horticultural substrates.
Both growth media exhibited high porosity (85–95%), low bulk density (0.20–0.30 g/cm³) and a neutral pH level (6.7–7.0). CSM seems to maintain "optimal" water and air content at 10 cm tension, while CGM maintains high air but still adequate water contents.
CSM contains initially very high NPK levels and hence high salinity, and therefore requires leaching prior to its use.
CGM contains high P and K levels but does not require leaching.

Both the CSM and CGM were successfully tested as peat substitute or peat complementary media for vegetables seedling production.
Development of pepper, cucumber and tomato seedlings was faster in compost containing media in comparison to peat+vermiculite media.
The tested composts seem to provide alternative or complementary materials to peat in growth media.

Symposium on Nutrition, Growing Techniques and Plant Substrates

Y. Inbar, Y. Chen, Y. Hadar

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1986.178.19