Influence of Dairy Cattle Slurry Solid Fraction Compost Combined with Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Growth of Greenhouse Lettuce

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Vol. 43; no. 19; pp. 2484 - 2491
• Main Authors: Brito, L. M, Amaro, A. L, Mourão, I, Coutinho, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 15.10.2012; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; cattle manure; Compost; composts; crop yield; dairy cattle; Fertilizers; Fractions; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; greenhouses; lettuce; Lycopersicon esculentum; mineralization; Nitrogen; nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; shoots; soil; soil amendments; soil minerals; Soil sciences; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; tomatoes; vegetable growing; Compost; Farming animal; fertilizers; nitrogen; Dairy cattle; Animal slurry; Vertebrata; Lettuce; Mammalia; Inorganic nitrogen; Mineralization; Artiodactyla; Greenhouse; Nitrogen fertilizer; Ungulata
• ISSN: 1532-2416; 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2012.711871

Winter lettuce response to the application of composts from the solid fraction of dairy cattle slurry was assessed in combination with mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer throughout a randomized block experiment under greenhouse conditions. Lettuce yield did not increase with mineral N fertilizer, possibly because the lettuce was preceded by a heavily fertilized tomato crop, and the amount of mineral N (114 kg ha⁻¹) in the soil at the beginning of the experience was greater than the amount of N (64–89 kg ha⁻¹) accumulated in the lettuce shoots of all of the treatments. In contrast, lettuce yield and N uptake increased with compost application, suggesting other benefits in addition to N availability resulting from its use as a soil amendment. Therefore, dairy cattle slurry solid fraction mature compost can be recommended for vegetable production, and mineral N recommendation is suggested to pursue previous soil mineral N analysis.