Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes
Information about the availability of soil mineral nitrogen (N) in organic greenhouse tomatoes after the application of mobile green manure (MGM), and its impact on plant nutrient status and yield is scarce. Considering this knowledge gap, the effects of legume biomass from faba beans that are culti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/11/2419 |
| _version_ | 1797508733714038784 |
|---|---|
| author | Anastasios Gatsios Georgia Ntatsi Luisella Celi Daniel Said-Pullicino Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas |
| author_facet | Anastasios Gatsios Georgia Ntatsi Luisella Celi Daniel Said-Pullicino Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas |
| author_sort | Anastasios Gatsios |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information about the availability of soil mineral nitrogen (N) in organic greenhouse tomatoes after the application of mobile green manure (MGM), and its impact on plant nutrient status and yield is scarce. Considering this knowledge gap, the effects of legume biomass from faba beans that are cultivated outdoors (FAB), or from feed-grade alfalfa pellets at two different doses (AAL = 330 g m<sup>−2</sup>; AAH = 660 g m<sup>−2</sup>) that were applied as MGM on the nutrition and yield of an organic greenhouse crop of tomatoes were evaluated. All of the MGM treatments increased the mineral N concentrations in the soil throughout the cropping period, and the total N concentration in tomato leaves when compared to the untreated control. FAB and AAH treatments had a stronger impact than AAL in all of the measured parameters. In addition, AAL, AAH, and FAB treatments increased the yield compared to the control by 19%, 33%, and 36%, respectively. The application of MGM, either as faba bean fresh biomass or as alfalfa dry pellets, in organic greenhouse tomatoes significantly increased the plant available soil N, improved N nutrition, and enhanced the fruit yield. However, the N mineralization rates after the MGM application were excessive during the initial cropping stages, followed by a marked decrease thereafter. This may impose an N deficiency during the late cropping period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:07:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-816d6100ce27400b91e3ad4e206af632 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:07:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-816d6100ce27400b91e3ad4e206af6322023-11-23T01:05:23ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-11-011011241910.3390/plants10112419Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse TomatoesAnastasios Gatsios0Georgia Ntatsi1Luisella Celi2Daniel Said-Pullicino3Anastasia Tampakaki4Dimitrios Savvas5Laboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, ItalyLaboratory of Biological and Biotechnological Applications, Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71004 Heraklion, GreeceLaboratory of Vegetable Crops, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, GreeceInformation about the availability of soil mineral nitrogen (N) in organic greenhouse tomatoes after the application of mobile green manure (MGM), and its impact on plant nutrient status and yield is scarce. Considering this knowledge gap, the effects of legume biomass from faba beans that are cultivated outdoors (FAB), or from feed-grade alfalfa pellets at two different doses (AAL = 330 g m<sup>−2</sup>; AAH = 660 g m<sup>−2</sup>) that were applied as MGM on the nutrition and yield of an organic greenhouse crop of tomatoes were evaluated. All of the MGM treatments increased the mineral N concentrations in the soil throughout the cropping period, and the total N concentration in tomato leaves when compared to the untreated control. FAB and AAH treatments had a stronger impact than AAL in all of the measured parameters. In addition, AAL, AAH, and FAB treatments increased the yield compared to the control by 19%, 33%, and 36%, respectively. The application of MGM, either as faba bean fresh biomass or as alfalfa dry pellets, in organic greenhouse tomatoes significantly increased the plant available soil N, improved N nutrition, and enhanced the fruit yield. However, the N mineralization rates after the MGM application were excessive during the initial cropping stages, followed by a marked decrease thereafter. This may impose an N deficiency during the late cropping period.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/11/2419<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>alfalfa pelletfaba beanbiological nitrogen fixationorganic tomatosoil nitrogen |
| spellingShingle | Anastasios Gatsios Georgia Ntatsi Luisella Celi Daniel Said-Pullicino Anastasia Tampakaki Dimitrios Savvas Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes Plants <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> alfalfa pellet faba bean biological nitrogen fixation organic tomato soil nitrogen |
| title | Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes |
| title_full | Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes |
| title_fullStr | Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes |
| title_short | Legume-Based Mobile Green Manure Can Increase Soil Nitrogen Availability and Yield of Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes |
| title_sort | legume based mobile green manure can increase soil nitrogen availability and yield of organic greenhouse tomatoes |
| topic | <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> alfalfa pellet faba bean biological nitrogen fixation organic tomato soil nitrogen |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/11/2419 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anastasiosgatsios legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes AT georgiantatsi legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes AT luisellaceli legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes AT danielsaidpullicino legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes AT anastasiatampakaki legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes AT dimitriossavvas legumebasedmobilegreenmanurecanincreasesoilnitrogenavailabilityandyieldoforganicgreenhousetomatoes |