Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation
Almond processing generates a high quantity of by-products, presenting the untapped potential for alternative applications and improved sustainability in production. This study aimed to evaluate whether the incorporation of almond by-products (hulls/shells) can improve the biochemical characteristic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/4/540 |
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| author | Vânia Silva Ivo Oliveira José Alberto Pereira Berta Gonçalves |
| author_facet | Vânia Silva Ivo Oliveira José Alberto Pereira Berta Gonçalves |
| author_sort | Vânia Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Almond processing generates a high quantity of by-products, presenting the untapped potential for alternative applications and improved sustainability in production. This study aimed to evaluate whether the incorporation of almond by-products (hulls/shells) can improve the biochemical characteristics of green bean pods when used as an alternative to traditional growing media in green bean plants. Four substrates were prepared: the Control substrate (C): 70% peat + 30% perlite; substrate (AS): 70% peat + 30% shells; substrate (AH): 70% peat + 30% perlite + 1 cm hulls as mulch; substrate (MIX): 70% peat + 15% shells + 15% hulls. Plants were grown in each of these substrates and subjected to two irrigation levels, 100% and 50% of their water-holding capacity. Biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total phenolics, flavonoids, <i>ortho</i>-diphenols, soluble proteins, antioxidant capacity) and color were evaluated in the harvested pods. Results showed that pods from plants growing in AH substrate presented statistically significant higher values in their total phenolic content, while AS and MIX substrates did not reveal significant benefits. Summarily, this study highlights the potential of almond hulls as a promising medium for green bean cultivation, particularly when employed as mulch. Further research is recommended to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the application of almond by-products as natural fertilizers/mulch. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:17:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5135c513c9d45818a66a8afa7477a26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:17:24Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5135c513c9d45818a66a8afa7477a262024-02-23T15:32:02ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-02-0113454010.3390/plants13040540Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean CultivationVânia Silva0Ivo Oliveira1José Alberto Pereira2Berta Gonçalves3Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCentre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalCentro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, PortugalCentre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Institute for Innovation, Capacity Building and Sustainability of Agri-Food Production (Inov4Agro), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, PortugalAlmond processing generates a high quantity of by-products, presenting the untapped potential for alternative applications and improved sustainability in production. This study aimed to evaluate whether the incorporation of almond by-products (hulls/shells) can improve the biochemical characteristics of green bean pods when used as an alternative to traditional growing media in green bean plants. Four substrates were prepared: the Control substrate (C): 70% peat + 30% perlite; substrate (AS): 70% peat + 30% shells; substrate (AH): 70% peat + 30% perlite + 1 cm hulls as mulch; substrate (MIX): 70% peat + 15% shells + 15% hulls. Plants were grown in each of these substrates and subjected to two irrigation levels, 100% and 50% of their water-holding capacity. Biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total phenolics, flavonoids, <i>ortho</i>-diphenols, soluble proteins, antioxidant capacity) and color were evaluated in the harvested pods. Results showed that pods from plants growing in AH substrate presented statistically significant higher values in their total phenolic content, while AS and MIX substrates did not reveal significant benefits. Summarily, this study highlights the potential of almond hulls as a promising medium for green bean cultivation, particularly when employed as mulch. Further research is recommended to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the application of almond by-products as natural fertilizers/mulch.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/4/540almond by-productsalmond hullsalmond shellsantioxidant capacity<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.quality |
| spellingShingle | Vânia Silva Ivo Oliveira José Alberto Pereira Berta Gonçalves Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation Plants almond by-products almond hulls almond shells antioxidant capacity <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L. quality |
| title | Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation |
| title_full | Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation |
| title_fullStr | Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation |
| title_short | Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation |
| title_sort | almond by products substrates as sustainable amendments for green bean cultivation |
| topic | almond by-products almond hulls almond shells antioxidant capacity <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L. quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/4/540 |
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