Abstract
The experiment was conducted during fall-winter seasons of years 2011-2012 to determine the effects of vermicompost tea (VCT) on growth and productivity of ?Hechicero? jalapen o pepper plants grown under organic and synthetic fertilization in greenhouse. Five different fertilization forms were applied to plants [F1 = sand + inorganic nutrient solution (control group); F2 = sand + VCT on concentration of 10%; F3 = mixture of sand + compost (ratio 1:1; v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5%; F4 = mixture of sand + vermicompost (ratio 1:1; v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5% y F5 = mixture of sand + compost + vermicompost (ratio 2:1:1; v:v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5%]. Treatments F4 and F5 showed an increased yield of 70 and 45% with regard to the yield obtained with F1; the F1 and F2 yields were not statistically different at the 0.05 significance level. The fruit length and the pericarp thickness were increased until 7.55 and 7.01% in F5, respectively. These results suggest that, since there were differences in yield when using the organic and inorganic nutrient source VCT combined with mixtures of sand + compost + vermicompost may be considered a successful alternative fertilizer for organic jalapen o pepper production in greenhouse.
Highlights
Manure, crop residues, green manures, dairy industry sludge, herbal pharmaceutical industry waste, biosolids of agribusiness and food processing waste, once they are properly treated through the process of composting and/or vermicomposting are some of the potential sources of nutrients in organic production systems (Ramesh et al, 2005; Alidadi et al, 2007)
The tallest plants at the end of the crop cycle (134 dat) were in the treatment F5, with a value (1.55 m) that was statistically different from the other plants recorded in the remaining treatments (Table 3); these results suggest that vermicompost tea (VCT) consistently enhanced plant growth, which agrees with the findings of previous studies (Sanwal et al, 2006; Hargreaves et al, 2008; Hargreaves et al, 2009)
Keeling et al (2003) and Siddiqui et al (2008) observed that application of VCT and compost tea on oilseed rape plant and okra plants, increased root development, plant growth and tap root length, respectively; we did not measure root growth and nutrient uptake, plants grown in F4 and F5 showed better plant height and nutrient uptake compared to control plants, suggesting that these two variables might be part of the mechanisms involved in plant growth stimulation
Summary
Crop residues, green manures, dairy industry sludge, herbal pharmaceutical industry waste, biosolids of agribusiness and food processing waste, once they are properly treated through the process of composting and/or vermicomposting are some of the potential sources of nutrients in organic production systems (Ramesh et al, 2005; Alidadi et al, 2007). There is evidence that the addition of C and VC to soils and growing media promotes the development and productivity of different horticultural crops such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) (GutiérrezMiceli et al, 2007; Moreno-Reséndez et al, 2013), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) (Steffen et al, 2010), pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) (Arancon et al, 2004a), garlic (Allium sativum L.) (Argüello et al, 2006), strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) (Arancon et al, 2004b), wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.) (Hasanuzzaman et al, 2010), and other species of commercial interest
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