Fertilization Strategies for Silene vulgaris (Caryophyllaceae) Production, a Wild Species with Alimentary Use

Abstract

The wild native vegetable cultivation in Spain is very interesting due to the potential value as leafy vegetable. In order to preserve the minor crop diversity we investigate several wild species as Silene vulgaris. This is a perennial herbs, widespread in Europe and North of Africa, very appreciated by leaf in the Iberian Peninsula. In this work, six fertilization treatments with different Base Fertilizer: Top Fertilizer were evaluated in the field on Mediterranean coast of Spain: T0 (without fertilization), T1 (5000 and 0), T2 (2500 and 725), T3 (2500 and 363), T4 (1250 and 725),T5 (1250 and 363), T6 (625 and 181) kg·ha-1, Base fertilized, and Top fertilizer respectively. Silene vulgaris seedlings 30 days old were transplanted to 1 m2 experimental plots under drip irrigation. and previously Base fertilized with Guano of fish (4% N, 8% P, 4% K). Thirty days later a Top fertilization were applied with KNO3 (13,8% N and 44% K). Two harvests were carried out 55 and 110 days after plantation and the parameters measured were the fresh mass and the dry mass. In the first harvest, both fresh and dry mass were significantly greater in T3 (8541 and 1522 kg·ha-1, respectively), while T0 produced the smallest yield (3765 and 625 kg/ha, respectively). In the second harvest, T4 produced the greatest values of fresh and dry mass (9995 and 903 kg·ha-1, respectively), while, again, T0 threw the smallest values (4846 and 464 kg·ha-1, respectively). This work was supported by the CICYT of Spain (Project AGL2000-0521) and by the Fundación Séneca of the Region of Murcia (project PI-27/00753/FS/01).