Elsevier

Journal of Environmental Management

Volume 234, 15 March 2019, Pages 458-463
Journal of Environmental Management

Research article
Effect of vermicompost application on root growth and ginsenoside content of Panax ginseng

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.101Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Vermicomposts produced from food waste, cow manure and paper sludge were tested.

  • Root yield was increased in the paper sludge vermicompost treatment by 40 t ha−1.

  • Vermicompost elevated soil pH, which was favourable for ginseng production.

  • Some mineral contents correlated with individual ginsenoside concentrations.

  • There was a trade-off between root growth and ginsenoside content.

Abstract

Vermicomposts are valuable by-products of organic wastes and can be used to improve soil environments in ginseng production. We compared the effects of food waste vermicompost (FWV), cow manure vermicompost (CMV) and paper sludge vermicompost (PSV) on several ginseng root production variables. Interactions between soil chemical properties, root growth, ginsenoside content and plant mineral content were also investigated. In the PSV treatment, the root yield increased by 40 t ha−1 compared to the untreated control. Nitrate concentration correlated negatively with root yield, and none of the vermicompost treatments differed significantly from the control in terms of root loss. Soil pH correlated positively with root weight, and total ginsenoside content did not vary among treatments, although some individual ginsenosides did differ among treatments. Root iron content correlated strongly with total ginsenoside content, and total ginsenoside content correlated negatively with root yield. Overall, our results showed that the root yield increase was not due to nutrient increase. Vermicompost was safe to use in relation to root rot disease, and it favourably elevated the pH of fields converted from rice paddies to ginseng production. Ginsenoside was not involved in defence mechanisms against root rot disease. Root iron content may have been involved in the metabolism of ginsenoside, and there was an apparent trade-off between ginsenoside content and root yield. Finally, vermicompost application altered resource allocation and soil chemical properties, which led to novel interactions between root parameters and components.

Introduction

Panax ginseng, which is used as an herbal supplement, is cultured in Asia, Europe and North America (Baeg and So, 2013). Ginseng root production requires root growth and control of root rot disease. Root growth is influenced by soil properties such as nutrient content, pH and soil moisture (Lee and Mudge, 2013). Root rot disease has been reported as a major threat to ginseng and is primarily caused by fungal pathogens such as Cylindrocarpon destructans and Fusarium solani (Eo and Park, 2013). Damage caused by root rot disease is often most severe in replanted fields, and disease incidence can be reduced using cultural measures. Ginseng is commonly produced in fields converted from paddies because it is a good option for controlling root rot disease.

Ginsenoside is a triterpenoidic saponin found in various parts of ginseng plants such as berries, roots and leaves (Chuang and Sheu, 1994). Ginsenoside is believed to have pharmacological properties such as antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects on humans (Attele et al., 1999). In ginseng cultivation, ginsenosides influence ginseng yield through increased nutrient uptake and pathogen resistance. A trade-off between biomass and ginsenoside content can occur because ginseng plants redistribute available resources for multiple, competing purposes. Ginsenoside plays a defence role against pathogens, pests and plants (Nicol et al., 2002, Yang et al., 2015). Fungal infection promotes production of some forms of ginsenoside in ginseng plants (Jiao et al., 2011, Jiao et al., 2015).

Organic wastes are produced from industrial processing and stalk removal. For economic and environmental reasons, reusing these wastes benefits crop cultivation. Vermicompost uses these organic wastes and increases the quality of raw waste (Kaviraj, 2003). Vermicomposts, when applied to crops, promote plant growth by improving soil's nutritional and physical properties (Atiyeh et al., 2002, Azarmi et al., 2008). However, plants often show contrasting responses between nutrient content vs. growth and secondary metabolite production (Hofmann and Jahufer, 2011). Moreover, adding organic materials may negatively affect plant yield by promoting pathogenic fungi proliferation via substrate supply (Eo and Park, 2013). Studying root growth, ginsenoside content and root rot disease simultaneously can help us evaluate the benefits of vermicomposts.

Cultural methods have been developed to stabilise yield and ginsenoside content simultaneously (Park et al., 1986, Lee et al., 2012). Here, we tested three types of vermicompost produced from cow manure, food waste and paper sludge, respectively, to develop methods for vermicompost application in ginseng production. We tested the effects of these vermicomposts on root growth, ginsenoside content and root rot disease. Interactions among these parameters have been poorly studied, and environmental control of these interactions is important for maximising ginseng yield. We hypothesised that changes in soil properties by vermicomposts may alter ginseng root growth parameters as well as their interactions with each other and with their environment. We also investigated the correlation of plant mineral content with other parameters because mineral composition influences the level of secondary metabolites by altering degradation and biosynthesis of metabolites (Santos et al., 2011, Zhang et al., 2013).

Section snippets

Experiment site

Our experiment was conducted in Eumseong Province, Korea. The field was a former paddy which was converted in 2008 when watering ceased. Three compost types were tested: food waste vermicompost (FWV), cow manure vermicompost (CMV) and paper sludge vermicompost (PSV). They were made by composting with a mixture of two earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei. FWV was obtained from Hansol Agricultural Cooperative (Asan, Korea), whereas CMV and PSV were obtained from local

Soil chemical properties

Vermicompost applications influenced soil chemical properties depending both on the type of vermicompost and the application amount (Table 2). Soil pH tended to increase in vermicompost treatments and was significantly different in the FDV40 and PSV40 treatments. NO3 and P2O5 were greater in the CMV40 treatment than in untreated control plots. Ca and Mg concentrations increased in the FDV40 and PSV40 treatments, respectively. Some correlations were found between soil chemical properties and

Paper sludge vermicompost and root growth

Vermicompost's effect on root growth parameters varied with amount and type of vermicompost applied. The root yield was higher in the PSV40 treatment than in the untreated control. However, this difference could not be attributed to an increase in major nutrients such as NO3 and P2O5. NO3correlated negatively with yield, and P2O5 showed no apparent correlation with yield. Mg is another candidate nutrient that promotes root growth, considering the highest level of this nutrient was found in

Conclusion

Root growth, ginsenoside content and root rot disease are three factors that should be taken into account during ginseng production, and they all may be affected by application of vermicomposts. Our results demonstrated that proper use of vermicomposts can promote ginseng yield without accompanying root loss caused by root rot disease. However, the incidence of root rot disease increased in the FWV40 treatment. Vermicompost applications increased soil pH, which was favourable for ginseng

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