ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1286: XXX International Horticultural Congress IHC2018: II International Symposium on Organic Horticulture for Wellbeing of the Environment and Population
Effects of hairy vetch and livestock compost on soil properties and quality of fresh-market tomato fruit |
| Authors: | R.A. Muchanga, T. Hirata, H. Araki |
| Keywords: | soluble solids content, ascorbic acid, calcium, microbial biomass N, soil EC |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1286.13 |
| Abstract:
Cover cropping and livestock compost application may influence soil properties and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit quality differently. A 2-year study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the effects of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa R.) and livestock compost on soil organic and inorganic N, soil minerals (K, P, Ca, and Mg), soil electrical conductivity (EC), fruit ascorbic acid and soluble solids content (SSC). The treatments consisted of hairy vetch planted at full seeding rate (HV; 20 kg ha‑1), a mixture of compost and hairy vetch planted at a seeding rate of 10 kg ha‑1 (HV+COMP), compost (COMP), and a no hairy vetch and compost treatment (BARE). All plots received an additional N fertilizer at a rate of 100 kg N ha‑1 as controlled-release N fertilizer, LPS100. Soil organic N at surface 10 cm depth increased with COMP (15.2%) and HV (7.38%) only, compared with BARE. However, hairy vetch and compost application showed no effect on soil residual inorganic N. Soil EC increased with hairy vetch and compost treatments, more so with HV than HV+COMP and COMP. Microbial biomass N levels in the early and late periods of tomato cultivation were 28.7 to 224% greater in HV, COMP, and HV+COMP than in BARE. The compost treatment increased all soil minerals by 5.80 to 25.3% compared with BARE. Hairy vetch increased the levels of K (36.0%) and P (9.31%), while the mixture increased the levels of K (35.3%) only. Fruit SSC increased slightly with the hairy vetch and compost treatments, while fruit ascorbic acid levels increased with the compost treatment only. | |
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