Articles
THE EFFECT OF APPLICATION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE COMPOST ON GROWING MEDIA AND GREENHOUSE LETTUCE YIELD
Article number
697_18
Pages
153 – 158
Language
English
Abstract
The potential of two agricultural waste composts, Tea Waste Compost (TWC) and Tree Bark Compost (TBC), as soil amendments was investigated for container production of Great Lakes 118 lettuce.
Nine growing media mixtures including 3TWC+1Soil (on a volumetric basis), 1TWC+1Soil, 1TWC+3Soil, 3TBC+1Soil, 1TBC+1Soil, 1TBC+3Soil, 1TWC+1TBC, 1TWC+1TBC+1Soil, and Soil (control), were arranged in four blocks.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv.
Great Lakes) seeds were directly sown in 2 liter pots.
No supplementary fertilization was applied until commercial harvest.
Due to the variation in date of commercial harvest, lettuce heads in each treatment were harvested as soon as they reached commercial maturity stage.
Results revealed that either type of compost increased yield over control (soil based media). However, growth, dry matter accumulation, and head weight was lower in TBC amended media than that of TWC amended media.
In addition to head yield, it was shown that crop maturity was positively affected with compost application.
Earlier crop obtained in soilless media, while the crop in non amended soil reached maturity 3 weeks later.
Nine growing media mixtures including 3TWC+1Soil (on a volumetric basis), 1TWC+1Soil, 1TWC+3Soil, 3TBC+1Soil, 1TBC+1Soil, 1TBC+3Soil, 1TWC+1TBC, 1TWC+1TBC+1Soil, and Soil (control), were arranged in four blocks.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv.
Great Lakes) seeds were directly sown in 2 liter pots.
No supplementary fertilization was applied until commercial harvest.
Due to the variation in date of commercial harvest, lettuce heads in each treatment were harvested as soon as they reached commercial maturity stage.
Results revealed that either type of compost increased yield over control (soil based media). However, growth, dry matter accumulation, and head weight was lower in TBC amended media than that of TWC amended media.
In addition to head yield, it was shown that crop maturity was positively affected with compost application.
Earlier crop obtained in soilless media, while the crop in non amended soil reached maturity 3 weeks later.
Authors
F. Mastouri, M.R. Hassandokht, M.N. Padasht Dehkaei
Keywords
Lactuca sativa L. cv. Great lakes 118, Tea waste, Tree Bark, yield, earliness
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