Effect Application of Apple Pomace on Yield of Spring Wheat in Potting Experiment

Abstract

Apple pomace, as a by-product, is difficult to manage and is produced in significant quantities. This makes it necessary to manage the resulting biomass. It is important for the environment to use pomace in an ecological way. It can provide a source of organic matter and be composted, but it can also be added directly to the soil. The greatest impediments in the use of pomace are the constant process of its production and the fermentation processes taking place within it, which require storage of action and drying and transportation of the pomace. Using pomace immediately after its formation as an exogenous source of organic matter for soil is a possibility. This method of pomace management benefits society and the natural environment. Thus, a study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of applying apple pomace to soil in a model experiment. Tests were conducted on spring wheat of the Harenda cultivar in a greenhouse. Various amounts of apple pomace were added to the soil. Soil properties were studied, as well as photosynthetic parameters and crop yield structure. It was shown that it is possible to improve soil properties and plant yield by adding pomace to the soil, but only for a limited quantity of pomace. The highest maximum pomace that should be used, for spring wheat in field conditions, is a maximum of 2 t/ha−1. At this dose of apple pomace, the characteristics of the wheat yielding structure were significantly improved, such as plant tillering, the number of ears and the weight of kernels per spike, and the weight of a thousand kernels. Since this was a model experiment, it should be treated as an introduction to research on the use of pomace, and further research on the possibility of using pomace in field conditions, including for other cereal species, should be continued.