Abstract
ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of liquid fertilizers (LF) with farm-derived renewable resources on biological activities and chemical attributes of the soil and fruit in an open-field tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) experiment conducted in South Korea in the 2019 growing season. The LF treatments included bone+fish meal (BF), fish+phosphoric acid (FP), sesame oil (SO), starfish (SF), nontreatment (NT) as control, and oil cake (OC) as an organic fertilizer, fertigating two times per week during the growing season. The pH in LF ranged between 7.4 and 8.3, and electrical conductivity in the LF was the highest on SF (0.69 dS·m-1), SO (0.64 dS·m-1), and BF (0.45 dS·m-1). Total amount of total-N supplied was the highest for SF (679 mg·plant-1), SO (654 mg), and BF (333 mg). The number of some invertebrates was increased by the BF and SF treatments. Earthworm biomass was significantly increased by the SF treatment. The NT and OC treatments reduced operational taxonomic units and the richness estimator of Chao1 and ACE. Seasonal SPAD and PS II values in the leaves were reduced on the FP-plants on 45 and 60 days after fertigation. The SF treatment increased fruit fresh weight and fruit yield to 4.2 kg per plant, with similar results observed for BF-treated plants. Fruit yield efficiency was improved by the BF treatment, followed by SO and SF among all the treatment. Starfish would be the promising LF for use as a supplemental nutrient amendment to increase agroecosystem health, nutrient availability, and fruit productivity.
Highlights
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) production and consumption in the last 20 years has consistently ranked highest in South Korea due to the nutritive value and functional properties of the fruit and use on a variety of ingredients (Rural Development Administration 2019)
Lettuce, cabbage lettuce, carrot, and sweet potato on the farmland had been environmentally-friendly cultivated on the land prior to starting this experiment, which was annually applied with manure compost
The highest electrical conductivity (EC) level in the liquid fertilizers (LF) was observed by SF (0.69 dS·m-1), sesame oil (SO) (0.64 dS·m-1), and bone+fish meal (BF) (0.45 dS·m-1)
Summary
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) production and consumption in the last 20 years has consistently ranked highest in South Korea due to the nutritive value and functional properties of the fruit and use on a variety of ingredients (Rural Development Administration 2019). Organic tomato production would be expected to offer high premium prices and biodiversity conservation, leading to a more sustainable system (Luttikholt 2007). This has brought the opportunity for African and Southeast Asian countries to produce organic tomatoes, contributing to an increase in the cultivation and production income (Badgley et al 2007). Organic tomatoes can be cultivated year-round in controlled system greenhouses, but open field production provides easy access for small-scale rural or periurban farms to contribute to the local food system (Luttikholt 2007). Additional fertilization using organic nutrient sources is typically employed in local regions of South
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