Abstract
Organic fertilizer regimens consisting of combinations of composts (yard waste, swine manure, or spent mushroom substrate) and liquid fertilizers (fish- or plant-based) were evaluated against conventional hydroponic fertilizers in two experiments with greenhouse tomatoes grown in peat-based substrate. Crop yield and fruit quality were evaluated and several assays of substrate microbial activity and community profiles (fluorescein diacetate analysis and EcoLog, values, nematode counts) were conducted. Crops grown in 20% to 40% compost (yard waste or yard waste plus swine manure) plus a continuously applied liquid source of organic potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphate (SO 4 ) could not be sustained more than 1 month before nutrient deficiencies became visible. Supplementation with a nitrogen (N)- and phosphorus (P)-containing plant-based liquid fertilizer at the point when plant deficiencies became apparent subsequently produced yields ≈80% that of the hydroponic control. In a second experiment, the proportion of mushroom or yard waste compost was increased to 50% of the mix, and liquid delivery of K, Ca, Mg and SO 4 plus either plant-based or fish-based N- and P-containing liquid feeds was started at the date of transplanting. In this case, organic yields equal to that of the hydroponic control (8.5 kg/plant) were observed in some treatments. The most productive organic treatment was the mushroom compost supplemented with a low concentration of the plant-based liquid fertilizer. In general, organic tomatoes had a lower postharvest decay index (better shelf life) than did the hydroponic controls, possibly as an indirect consequence of overall reduced yield in those treatments. High concentrations of both organic liquid feeds resulted in lower yields as a result of treatment-induced fusarium crown and root rot. In contrast to some previous studies, those treatments showing fusarium crown and root rot also had the highest gross microbial activity. Measures of gross microbial activity and numbers of microbivorous nematodes were higher (average of 37% and 6.7 times, respectively) in compost/organic feed treatments than in the hydroponic control. Community physiological profiles of the bacterial populations, on the other hand, did not differ between organic and hydroponic treatments. Nematode populations were significantly correlated with gross microbial activity in the organic treatments.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Tomatoes in 20% to 40% compost with organic mineral liquid feed showed nutrient deficiencies before one month.
- Taxon
- Tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- 20% to 40% composte0
- Outcome
- nutrient deficienciese0
- Value
- 1 monthe0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crops grown in 20% to 40% compost (yard waste or yard waste plus swine manure) plus a continuously applied liquid source of organic potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphate (SO 4 ) could not be sustained more than 1 month before nutrient deficiencies became visible.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding plant-based nitrogen and phosphorus liquid fertilizer after deficiencies appeared yielded about 80% of the hydroponic control.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- nitrogen (N)- and phosphorus (P)-containing plant-based liquid fertilizere0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- lowerinferrede0
- Value
- ≈80%e0
- Comparator
- hydroponic controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Supplementation with a nitrogen (N)- and phosphorus (P)-containing plant-based liquid fertilizer at the point when plant deficiencies became apparent subsequently produced yields ≈80% that of the hydroponic control.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Some organic treatments matched hydroponic tomato yield of 8.5 kg per plant.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- organice0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- equal toe0
- Value
- 8.5 kg/plante0
- Comparator
- hydroponic controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic yields equal to that of the hydroponic control (8.5 kg/plant) were observed in some treatments.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Mushroom compost with low-concentration plant-based liquid fertilizer was the most productive organic treatment.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- mushroom compost supplemented with a low concentration of the plant-based liquid fertilizere0
- Outcome
- most productive organic treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The most productive organic treatment was the mushroom compost supplemented with a low concentration of the plant-based liquid fertilizer.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic tomatoes generally had a lower postharvest decay index than hydroponic controls.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- organice0
- Outcome
- postharvest decay indexe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- hydroponic controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic tomatoes had a lower postharvest decay index (better shelf life) than did the hydroponic controls”
Claim · model-written summary
High concentrations of organic liquid feeds produced lower tomato yields.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- High concentrations of both organic liquid feedse0
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- lowere0
FusariumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“High concentrations of both organic liquid feeds resulted in lower yields as a result of treatment-induced fusarium crown and root rot.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatments with fusarium crown and root rot also had the highest gross microbial activity.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- those treatments showing fusarium crown and root rote0
- Outcome
- gross microbial activitye0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“those treatments showing fusarium crown and root rot also had the highest gross microbial activity.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Gross microbial activity was 37% higher in compost and organic feed treatments than hydroponic controls.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- compost/organic feed treatmentse0
- Outcome
- gross microbial activitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 37%e0
- Comparator
- hydroponic controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Measures of gross microbial activity and numbers of microbivorous nematodes were higher (average of 37% and 6.7 times, respectively) in compost/organic feed treatments than in the hydroponic control.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Microbivorous nematodes were 6.7 times more numerous in compost and organic feed treatments.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- compost/organic feed treatmentse0
- Interactor
- microbivorous nematodese0other
- Outcome
- numbers of microbivorous nematodese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 6.7 timese0
- Comparator
- hydroponic controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Measures of gross microbial activity and numbers of microbivorous nematodes were higher (average of 37% and 6.7 times, respectively) in compost/organic feed treatments than in the hydroponic control.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Bacterial community physiological profiles did not differ between organic and hydroponic treatments.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- organice0
- Interactor
- bacterial populationse0other
- Outcome
- Community physiological profiles of the bacterial populationse0
- Direction
- did not differe0
- Comparator
- hydroponic treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Community physiological profiles of the bacterial populations, on the other hand, did not differ between organic and hydroponic treatments.”
t0“Tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Nematode populations correlated significantly with gross microbial activity in organic treatments.
- Taxon
- TomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- organic treatmentse0
- Outcome
- Nematode populationse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nematode populations were significantly correlated with gross microbial activity in the organic treatments.”
t0“Tomatoes”
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