Abstract
BackgroundOrganic soilless production in containers requires substrates with appropriate physicochemical and biological properties to ensure that production is sustainable and profitable for several production cycles. The main objective of this study was to comprehensively evaluate these properties in three different mixtures of organic substrates (vermicompost [V] and coconut fibers [CF] in ratios 20V80CF, 40V60CF, 60V40CF) for four horticultural crop production cycles (PCs) using vermicompost tea (VT) as the main source of nutrients.ResultsReadily available water (25%) in the control treatment (20V80CF) was below the recommended limit, and dry bulk density (>450 g/L) surpassed the recommended limit in the 60V40CF treatment (p < 0.05). In terms of chemical properties, cations and anions in the saturated media extract decreased significantly to values below established optimal conditions. Furthermore, the substrates presented high enzymatic activity in successive production cycles (p < 0.05), including dehydrogenase (350–400 μg TFF g−1), acid phosphatase (4,700 μg p‐nitrophenol g−1 soil hr−1), and β‐glucosidase (1,200 μg p‐nitrophenol g−1 soil hr−1) activity during transformation from organic matter to inorganic compounds.ConclusionThe 40V60CF treatment presents adequate physicochemical and biological characteristics for reuse for more than four growing cycles when organic supplements are administered.
Highlights
The growing global demand for food to supply the increasing world population, without compromising natural resources for future generations, represents one of the greatest challenges to agricultural science
We suggest that the control treatment exhibits changes in its structure from production cycles (PCs)-3 onward after the quantity of macropores has been reduced and more small pores have been produced because of the high coconut fiber (CF) content in this treatment
The results demonstrate that the use of continuous planting cycles (PC-2, PC-3) favors an increase in DHA activity, which in turn reflects the improved growth potential of microbiota in the rhizosphere, as reported by Vargas-García, Suárez-Estrella, López, and Moreno (2010)
Summary
The growing global demand for food to supply the increasing world population, without compromising natural resources for future generations, represents one of the greatest challenges to agricultural science. One strategy involves the use of plant residues, which can be used as biofertilizers This technique has been used in ecological agricultural production systems to cultivate crops without soil (Lim, Wu, Lim, & Shak, 2015). N-fixing and P-solubilizing bacteria, which improve the nutritional characteristics of vermicompost, have been isolated from the gut of E. fetida (Hussain et al, 2016) In this context, new soilless production techniques must be improved and implemented with consideration of the particular characteristics of a substrate in a container with limited volumes of water, air, and nutrients available to the plant (Bowman & Paul, 1983). The most influential chemical characteristics are pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), and cation and anion balance in the saturated media extract (SME) (Warnecke, 1986) The control of these factors is fundamental for ensuring adequate crop production. Conclusion: The 40V60CF treatment presents adequate physicochemical and biological characteristics for reuse for more than four growing cycles when organic supplements are administered
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