Agricultural use of leachates obtained from two different vermicomposting processes

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 99; no. 14; pp. 6228 - 6232
• Main Authors: Tejada, M., Gonzalez, J.L., Hernandez, M.T., Garcia, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2008; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of sewage sludges and wastes; Biotechnology; Cattle; Environment and pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humic substances; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Lycopersicon esculentum; Manure; Soil; Tomato crop; Vermicomposting process leachates; Tomato crop; Vermicomposting process leachates; Humic substances; Vermicomposting; Organic acids; Vegetable crop; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Lycopersicon esculentum; Spermatophyta; Agriculture; Humic substance; Solanaceae; Leachate
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.12.031

The objective of this paper was to investigate the possible agricultural use of the vermicomposting process leachates. Two leachates coming, respectively, from the vermicomposting of cow dung (SCD) and the vermicomposting of green forages (SGF), as well as solution of Hewitt (C) were used at a dose of 1 ml 500 ml −1 in the foliar fertilization of tomato plants. Treatments were applied 30, 60 and 90 days after planting (DAP). The obtained results showed that foliar fertilization with SCD and SGF increased the morphological and chemical parameters on tomato crop with respect to the plants receiving foliar treatment with SH and C, possibly due to the humic substances content in SCD and SGF. The higher content of humic substances in SGF with respect to the SCD are possibly the responsible of the higher chlorophyll contents observed in the plants receiving the former treatment. This aspect possibly promoted an increase in plant photosynthesis and therefore an increase in fruit quality.