Abstract
• Compost and biochar synergy in leafy vegetables was investigated under sub-optimal nutrient supply. • In both spinach and rocket, C+B synergy under limited fertilization optimized N–C metabolic balance. • C+B treatment optimized photosynthetic function in spinach under low fertilization. • C+B synergy improved chlorophyll concentration and stress-related amino acid synthesis in leafy greens. Biochar and compost have been extensively studied as soil amendments useful for improving the physical and chemical characteristics of soils. However, due to their heterogeneous nature, they may induce different productive and physiological responses depending on the crop. Therefore, in this article, two growth chamber experiments were set up to test the short-term effects of compost and biochar applied alone and in combination (C+B) on the yield and morpho-physiological characteristics of spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L., exp 1) and wild rocket ( Diplotaxis tenuifolia D.C, exp 2) under optimal, sub-optimal, and non-fertilization conditions (Full, Half, NoFert). The two experiments showed that the C+B combination, under sub-optimal fertilization conditions, contributed to improving the balance of nitrogen and carbon metabolism. Specifically, the C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration and promoted the synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in both rocket and spinach. The efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus under sub-optimal fertilization conditions improved thanks to the combination of C+B in spinach, while the addition of compost alone led to excessive nitrate accumulation in the leaves. The total antioxidant activity of both crops improved due to the application of compost and C+B, especially in spinach, where plants treated with Half x C+B shoed a doubling of phenols. The smaller variation observed in wild rocket is likely due to higher baseline levels of phenols and antioxidants in the soil, which provide constitutive protection. In conclusion, the specific responses of the two crops are linked to intrinsic differences related to the species, highlighting the need to implement management strategies tailored to the crops.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
C+B improved the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus in spinach under sub-optimal fertilization.
- Taxon
- spinach
Spinacia oleraceae1 - Treatment
- C+Be1
- Outcome
- efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatuse1
- Direction
- improvede1
- Qualifier
- under sub-optimal fertilization conditionse1
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus under sub-optimal fertilization conditions improved thanks to the combination of C+B in spinach, while the addition of compost alone led to excessive nitrate accumulation in the leaves”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost alone led to excessive nitrate accumulation in spinach leaves.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae1
- Treatment
- compost alonee1
- Outcome
- nitrate accumulation in the leavese1
- Direction
- increaseinferrede1
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus under sub-optimal fertilization conditions improved thanks to the combination of C+B in spinach, while the addition of compost alone led to excessive nitrate accumulation in the leaves”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
Half-rate fertilization with C+B doubled phenols in spinach.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae3
- Treatment
- Half x C+Be3
- Outcome
- phenolse3
- Direction
- doublinge3
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“The total antioxidant activity of both crops improved due to the application of compost and C+B, especially in spinach, where plants treated with Half x C+B shoed a doubling of phenols”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
The C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration in spinach.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae4
- Treatment
- C+B mixturee4
- Outcome
- total chlorophyll concentratione4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Specifically, the C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration and promoted the synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in both rocket and spinach”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
The C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration in wild rocket.
- Taxon
- rockete4
- Treatment
- C+B mixturee4
- Outcome
- total chlorophyll concentratione4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e4“Specifically, the C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration and promoted the synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in both rocket and spinach”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
The C+B mixture promoted synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in spinach.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae4
- Treatment
- C+B mixturee4
- Outcome
- synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recyclinge4
- Direction
- promotede4
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Specifically, the C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration and promoted the synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in both rocket and spinach”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
The C+B mixture promoted synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in wild rocket.
- Taxon
- rockete4
- Treatment
- C+B mixturee4
- Outcome
- synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recyclinge4
- Direction
- promotede4
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e4“Specifically, the C+B mixture increased total chlorophyll concentration and promoted the synthesis of amino acids involved in osmotic regulation and nitrogen recycling in both rocket and spinach”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
C+B under sub-optimal fertilization improved the balance of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in leafy vegetables.
- Taxon
- leafy vegetablest0
- Treatment
- C+B combinatione5
- Outcome
- balance of nitrogen and carbon metabolisme5
- Direction
- improvinge5
- Qualifier
- under sub-optimal fertilization conditionse5
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“in leafy vegetables under sub-optimal nutrient supply”
e5“The two experiments showed that the C+B combination, under sub-optimal fertilization conditions, contributed to improving the balance of nitrogen and carbon metabolism”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
Application of compost and C+B improved total antioxidant activity in leafy vegetables.
- Taxon
- leafy vegetablest0
- Treatment
- application of compost and C+Be3
- Outcome
- total antioxidant activitye3
- Direction
- improvede3
- Setting
- growth chambere2
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“in leafy vegetables under sub-optimal nutrient supply”
e3“The total antioxidant activity of both crops improved due to the application of compost and C+B, especially in spinach, where plants treated with Half x C+B shoed a doubling of phenols”
e2“two growth chamber experiments were set up”
Claim · model-written summary
The variation in response was smaller in wild rocket than in spinach.
Verbatim
e6“The smaller variation observed in wild rocket is likely due to higher baseline levels of phenols and antioxidants in the soil”
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