Abstract
The high pH and electrical conductivity values of mature compost from solid wastes of citrus processing plants can severely restrict its use as a constituent of growing media in soilless cultivation. In the present work, addition of phosphoric acid was used as a chemically feasible strategy to lower the pH of mature orange waste compost. The growing media for testing were prepared by mixing commercial perlite (Agrilit®3) with increasing dosages (0, 7.5, 15 and 30%, by vol) of orange waste compost after a pH adjustement to 6.5-6.7 with the addition of phosphoric acid. In all potting mixtures the electrical conductivity never exceeded 0.7 dS m−1. Plant growth responses (i.e. fresh and dry biomass, together with root morphological parameters such as root length, surface area, fineness and tissue density) were assessed on tomato and zucchini seedlings grown in potting mixtures under greenhouse conditions for 40 and 20 days, respectively. The results indicated that orange waste compost induced species-specific and dose-dependent responses on plant growth. The growing rates were generally higher in zucchini than in tomato seedlings; moreover, amendments larger than 7.5% determined a reduced growth rate in both plants which became more evident at 30% compost doses. The same responses were induced on root morphological parameters: larger increases in root length, surface area, root dry weight, fineness and tissue density were observed in zucchini than in tomato; moreover, in both plants optimal morphological responses were found at 7.5% compost dose. Overall the results indicated that phosphoric acid may efficiently be used to control high pH values in orange waste compost and make it suitable for wider use as a constituent of perlite-rich media provided the amendment rates are carefully evaluated.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Zucchini seedlings generally grew faster than tomato seedlings in compost media.
- Taxon
- zucchini
Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepoe0 - Outcome
- growing ratese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- tomato seedlingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The growing rates were generally higher in zucchini than in tomato seedlings”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost amendments above 7.5% reduced tomato seedling growth rate, most evidently at 30%.
- Taxon
- Tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- amendments larger than 7.5%e0
- Outcome
- growth ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- more evident at 30% compost dosese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“amendments larger than 7.5% determined a reduced growth rate in both plants which became more evident at 30% compost doses”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost amendments above 7.5% reduced zucchini seedling growth rate, most evidently at 30%.
- Taxon
- ZucchiniCucurbita pepo subsp. pepot0
- Treatment
- amendments larger than 7.5%e0
- Outcome
- growth ratee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- more evident at 30% compost dosese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“amendments larger than 7.5% determined a reduced growth rate in both plants which became more evident at 30% compost doses”
t0“Zucchini”
Claim · model-written summary
Zucchini seedlings showed larger increases in root length, surface area and dry weight than tomato seedlings.
- Taxon
- zucchiniCucurbita pepo subsp. pepoe0
- Outcome
- root length, surface area, root dry weighte0
- Direction
- larger increasese0
- Comparator
- tomatoe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“larger increases in root length, surface area, root dry weight, fineness and tissue density were observed in zucchini than in tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Zucchini seedlings showed larger increases in root fineness and tissue density than tomato seedlings.
- Taxon
- zucchiniCucurbita pepo subsp. pepoe0
- Outcome
- fineness and tissue densitye0
- Direction
- larger increasese0
- Comparator
- tomatoe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“larger increases in root length, surface area, root dry weight, fineness and tissue density were observed in zucchini than in tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The best root morphological responses in both seedlings occurred at 7.5% compost.
Verbatim
e0“in both plants optimal morphological responses were found at 7.5% compost dose”
Claim · model-written summary
Phosphoric acid can control high compost pH and permit its use in perlite-rich media if amendment rates are assessed.
- Taxon
- Tomato and Zucchini SeedlingsCucurbita pepo subsp. pepoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- use as a constituent of perlite-rich mediae0
- Qualifier
- provided the amendment rates are carefully evaluatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“phosphoric acid may efficiently be used to control high pH values in orange waste compost and make it suitable for wider use as a constituent of perlite-rich media provided the amendment rates are carefully evaluated”
t0“Tomato and Zucchini Seedlings”
The same questions in other papers
other · growth · Cucurbita pepoPositive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
other · growth · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
17 papers in the same direction as this paper · 157 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
171 papers more in this group
See all 175 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.