Abstract
Sustainable farming practices aim to replace agrochemicals with plant-based alternatives to increase productivity and soil quality. To evaluate the potential use of aromatic plants as soil amendments in tomato seedbeds, in a greenhouse experiment, we used spearmint, peppermint, and rosemary, separately, as soil amendments, in pots sown with tomato, and studied their effect on seedling growth, soil nutrients, and the soil nematode community in terms of trophic and functional structure, metabolic footprint, and genera composition. Non-amended soil was used in the control pots. We further explored the dynamics of the plant-soil-nematode interactions by using aromatic plants at different stages of decomposition (0, 28, and 56 days). Incorporating aromatic plants into the soil led to the proliferation of free-living nematodes, especially of the opportunistic kind, resulting in vigorous and enriched soil. This was more pronounced in the case of the spearmint and peppermint, which also increased the tomato growth. The high soil nutritional status and enhanced plant growth were most prominent when the aromatic plants were left for 28 days to decompose in the soil before sowing. Compared with the mint plants, the rosemary had similar, yet less intense, effects on the soil community, but completely inhibited the growth of the tomato seedlings. Therefore, it is not recommended for use as a soil amendment in tomato seedbeds.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
Spearmint amendment increased tomato growth.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- spearminte0
- Outcome
- tomato growthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- Non-amended soile1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This was more pronounced in the case of the spearmint and peppermint, which also increased the tomato growth.”
e1“Non-amended soil was used in the control pots.”
Claim · model-written summary
Peppermint amendment increased tomato growth.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- pepperminte0
- Outcome
- tomato growthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- Non-amended soile1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This was more pronounced in the case of the spearmint and peppermint, which also increased the tomato growth.”
e1“Non-amended soil was used in the control pots.”
Claim · model-written summary
Rosemary amendment completely inhibited tomato seedling growth.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- rosemarye0
- Outcome
- growth of the tomato seedlingse0
- Direction
- completely inhibitede0
- Comparator
- mint plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared with the mint plants, the rosemary had similar, yet less intense, effects on the soil community, but completely inhibited the growth of the tomato seedlings.”
Claim · model-written summary
Rosemary is not recommended as a tomato seedbed soil amendment.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- not recommended for use as a soil amendment in tomato seedbedse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Therefore, it is not recommended for use as a soil amendment in tomato seedbeds.”
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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.