Abstract
One of the main factors responsible for successful sustainable food production is vigorous seedling establishment. The role of organic extracts (vermicompost tea and aqueous biochar) on improving seed performance has not been fully explored in South Africa. Pea seed germination and emergence experiments using different concentrations of organic extracts were conducted according to International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules, and arranged in completely randomised block designs with four replications. Vermicompost tea (VC) significantly improved seed germination and emergence percentages, speed of germination and emergence, and physiological processes compared with biochar (BC) and vermicompost tea with microbial supplements (augmented). In contrast, biochar improved seedling growth by 39% compared to vermicompost tea. Application of the BC and VC extracts led to a 12% and 18% increase in pea germination percentages respectively. Similarly, BC and VC extracts at 10% concentration were effective in yielding optimal photosynthetic responses. The 5% and 10% VC, or 2.5% BC extracts are recommended for improving speed of germination, optimal germination and emergence percentages of pea seeds. Application of these extracts will be beneficial for resource-poor farmers in marginal lands, since these organic extracts are cheaper, easier to produce and more environmental friendly than the available commercial fertilisers. This study has shown that vermicompost tea provides essential nutrients for pea seed establishment, thus negating the need to use chemical fertilisers for effective seedling establishment.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Vermicompost tea significantly improved germination, emergence, speed and physiological processes relative to biochar and augmented tea.
- Taxon
- Pea
Lathyrus oleraceuse1 - Treatment
- Vermicompost tea (VC)e0
- Outcome
- seed germination and emergence percentages, speed of germination and emergence, and physiological processese0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Comparator
- biochar (BC) and vermicompost tea with microbial supplements (augmented)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Vermicompost tea (VC) significantly improved seed germination and emergence percentages, speed of germination and emergence, and physiological processes compared with biochar (BC) and vermicompost tea with microbial supplements (augmented).”
e1“pea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased seedling growth by 39% versus vermicompost tea.
- Taxon
- PeaLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- biochare0
- Outcome
- seedling growthe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 39%e0
- Comparator
- vermicompost teae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar improved seedling growth by 39% compared to vermicompost tea.”
e1“pea”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar increased pea germination by 12%.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Treatment
- BCe0
- Outcome
- pea germination percentagese0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 12%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of the BC and VC extracts led to a 12% and 18% increase in pea germination percentages respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Vermicompost tea increased pea germination by 18%.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Treatment
- VCe0
- Outcome
- pea germination percentagese0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 18%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of the BC and VC extracts led to a 12% and 18% increase in pea germination percentages respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar extract at 10% yielded optimal photosynthetic responses.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- BC and VC extracts at 10% concentratione0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic responsese0
- Direction
- optimale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BC and VC extracts at 10% concentration were effective in yielding optimal photosynthetic responses.”
e1“pea”
Claim · model-written summary
Vermicompost tea at 10% yielded optimal photosynthetic responses.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse1
- Treatment
- VC extracts at 10% concentratione0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic responsese0
- Direction
- optimale0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BC and VC extracts at 10% concentration were effective in yielding optimal photosynthetic responses.”
e1“pea”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend 5% and 10% vermicompost tea to improve pea germination and emergence.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Treatment
- 5% and 10% VCe0
- Outcome
- improving speed of germination, optimal germination and emergence percentagese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The 5% and 10% VC, or 2.5% BC extracts are recommended for improving speed of germination, optimal germination and emergence percentages of pea seeds.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend 2.5% biochar extract to improve pea germination and emergence.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceuse0
- Treatment
- 2.5% BC extractse0
- Outcome
- improving speed of germination, optimal germination and emergence percentagese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The 5% and 10% VC, or 2.5% BC extracts are recommended for improving speed of germination, optimal germination and emergence percentages of pea seeds.”
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