Application of different doses of compost as a substitution of the commercial substrate in nursery for pepper and tomato seedlings

FIASCONARO, MARÍA LAURA; ABRILE, MARIANA GUADALUPE; HINTERMEISTER, LUCÍA; ANTOLIN, MARÍA DEL CARMEN; LOVATO, MARÍA EUGENIA

International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture

Islamic Azad University

Lugar: Tehran; Año: 2022 vol. 11 p. 411 - 426

2251-7715

PURPOSE: Thedecreasing number of peatlands has driven the search for new cultivationsubstrates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of different compostsas growing media in the production of vegetable seed- lings (pepper andtomato).METHOD: Composts wereproduced from: discarded carrots (ZC), fats (FC), and biosolids (BC) from thedairy industry. They were used as peat substitutes in different doses dependingon the germinating species: control (CS-commercial substrate) and three growingmedia prepared with perlite: 25, 35, and 45% of ZC, FC, and BC for pepperseedlings and 40, 55 and 70% of ZC, FC, and BC for tomato seedlings. When theplants were ready for transplantation they were harvested and the data werecollected to assess the development of the seedlings in the different growthmedia. RESULTS: The obtainedresults suggest the possibility of total substitution of the CS by ZC, FC, andBC to produce pepper and tomato plants in commercial nurseries. The plantscultivated with composts presented higher con- centrations of total dry mattercompared to the controls. Photosynthetic pigments were affected by the presenceof FC and BC, whereas TSP concentration was favored by BC. CONCLUSION: Oursresults suggest that it is feasible to perform a total substitution ofcommercial substrates with composts of different origins and compositions forthe production of pepper and tomato plants in commercial nurseries.