Sheep manure compost: a viable growing substrate for lettuce seedling production

IF 3.4 3区 农林科学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Taher Mechergui, Curtis L. Vanderschaaf, Manoj Kumar Jhariya, Arnab Banerjee, Abhishek Raj
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Abstract

Purpose: The substantial use of peat as a nursery substrate leads to the destruction of ecologically important peat bogs, necessitating the search for sustainable and suitable alternatives. In this study, we assessed the suitability of sheep manure-based compost as a potential substrate to either partially or complete replace commercial peat in the production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings. Methods: Five different substrate treatments were used: 100% peat (100% P) served as the control; 100% compost (100% C); 25% C/75% P; 50% C/50% P; and 75% C/25% P. The study followed a completely randomized design, with sixteen replications for each treatment level. Various parameters, including seedling emergence, seedling survival, seedling growth, seedling vigor index, Dickson’s quality index, among other variables, were analyzed. Results: Seedling emergence ranged from 87.5 to 100%, with no significant differences among the substrate treatments, suggesting that seedling emergence and initial establishment can be successfully achieved in sheep manure-based compost. For seedling growth, sheep manure-based compost, whether used alone or in combination with peat, also resulted in similar or even better outcomes as compared to the control. For example, in the 100% compost treatment, seedlings exhibited comparable diameter growth and total seedling biomass to those of the control, or 100% peat. However, seedling height was 7.6% greater in the 100% compost substrate when compared to the control, demonstrating the potential growth-promoting effects of utilizing sheep manure-based compost as a growing medium. Conclusions: During our study we found that the quality of seedlings produced in all tested substrates was similar to that of the control. Therefore, as a compost, sheep manure, a locally and widely available resource, shows promise as a viable nursery substrate, potentially entirely replacing the expensive, non-renewable, and environmentally sensitive peat currently being used in nurseries for producing lettuce seedlings.

Abstract Image

羊粪堆肥:生菜育苗的可行生长基质
目的:大量使用泥炭作为育苗基质导致具有重要生态意义的泥炭沼泽遭到破坏,因此有必要寻找可持续的合适替代品。在本研究中,我们评估了羊粪堆肥作为一种潜在基质,在莴苣(Lactuca sativa L.)育苗过程中部分或完全替代商业泥炭的适宜性。方法使用了五种不同的基质处理方法:研究采用完全随机设计,每个处理水平有 16 次重复。研究分析了各种参数,包括出苗率、幼苗存活率、幼苗生长情况、幼苗活力指数、迪克森质量指数等变量。结果出苗率从 87.5%到 100%不等,不同基质处理之间没有显著差异,这表明羊粪堆肥可以成功实现出苗和初期建植。在幼苗生长方面,羊粪堆肥无论是单独使用还是与泥炭混合使用,都能取得与对照组相似甚至更好的效果。例如,在 100% 堆肥处理中,幼苗的直径生长和幼苗总生物量与对照组或 100% 泥炭处理相当。然而,与对照组相比,100% 堆肥基质中的秧苗高度增加了 7.6%,这表明使用羊粪堆肥作为生长介质具有潜在的促进生长效果。结论:在研究过程中,我们发现在所有测试基质中培育出的秧苗质量与对照相似。因此,作为一种堆肥,羊粪这种当地广泛存在的资源有望成为一种可行的育苗基质,有可能完全取代目前育苗场用于生产生菜幼苗的昂贵、不可再生且对环境敏感的泥炭。
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来源期刊
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Soil Science
CiteScore
5.90
自引率
10.30%
发文量
331
审稿时长
9 months
期刊介绍: The Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is an international, peer reviewed journal devoted to publishing original research findings in the areas of soil science, plant nutrition, agriculture and environmental science. Soil sciences submissions may cover physics, chemistry, biology, microbiology, mineralogy, ecology, pedology, soil classification and amelioration. Plant nutrition and agriculture submissions may include plant production, physiology and metabolism of plants, plant ecology, diversity and sustainability of agricultural systems, organic and inorganic fertilization in relation to their impact on yields, quality of plants and ecological systems, and agroecosystems studies. Submissions covering soil degradation, environmental pollution, nature conservation, and environmental protection are also welcome. The journal considers for publication original research articles, technical notes, short communication, and reviews (both voluntary and by invitation), and letters to the editor.
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