Articles
AN ATTEMPT FOR REDUCING MINERAL FERTILIZATION IN LETTUCE PRODUCTION BY USING BIO-ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEM
Article number
852_39
Pages
311 – 318
Language
English
Abstract
Overuse of mineral fertilizers causes environmental problems due to the excessive accumulation and leaching of harmful elements to the ground water.
With the increased environment awareness, organic agricultural production is being more important around the world.
The present study is aimed to reduce mineral fertilizing for lettuce plants without yield loss and also to improve inner head quality by using bio-organic treatments.
Field trials on lettuce plants cv. Oviation were evaluated during the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons.
Four N sources (100% N as mineral N (control), 50% of mineral N, 100% organic N as chicken manure and 50% mineral N + 50% organic N) and three bio-fertilizers application (untreated, Bacillus subtilis FZB24 and yeast) were studied.
Results showed that reducing mineral N application to 50% or chicken manure application led to high reduction in nitrate content of lettuce head with little reduction of head yield as compared to mineral N fertilizer.
Organically fertilized plants combined with 50% of mineral N fertilizer resulted in similar yield as 100% of mineral fertilization treatment with higher marketable yield.
Both inoculation with Bacillus subtilis FZB24 and foliar application of yeast showed a positive effect in increasing lettuce yield and quality as compared to the untreated treatment (control). Bacillus subtilis FZB24 was the best for increasing fresh weight, yield and Ca content, while yeast resulted in the highest dry matter.
With the increased environment awareness, organic agricultural production is being more important around the world.
The present study is aimed to reduce mineral fertilizing for lettuce plants without yield loss and also to improve inner head quality by using bio-organic treatments.
Field trials on lettuce plants cv. Oviation were evaluated during the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons.
Four N sources (100% N as mineral N (control), 50% of mineral N, 100% organic N as chicken manure and 50% mineral N + 50% organic N) and three bio-fertilizers application (untreated, Bacillus subtilis FZB24 and yeast) were studied.
Results showed that reducing mineral N application to 50% or chicken manure application led to high reduction in nitrate content of lettuce head with little reduction of head yield as compared to mineral N fertilizer.
Organically fertilized plants combined with 50% of mineral N fertilizer resulted in similar yield as 100% of mineral fertilization treatment with higher marketable yield.
Both inoculation with Bacillus subtilis FZB24 and foliar application of yeast showed a positive effect in increasing lettuce yield and quality as compared to the untreated treatment (control). Bacillus subtilis FZB24 was the best for increasing fresh weight, yield and Ca content, while yeast resulted in the highest dry matter.
Publication
Authors
S.A. Saleh, A.A. Glala, M.I. Ezzo, A.A. Ghoname
Keywords
nitrogen fertilizer, chicken manure, dry yeast, Bacillus subtilis FZB24, Lactuca sativa
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