Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i>
Peat is a common substrate used for the cultivation of potted plants. However, the use of peat in horticulture has recently been questioned from an environmental standpoint, since it is a non-renewable resource and plays a major role in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration. The aim o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/98 |
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| author | Carlo Greco Antonio Comparetti Giancarlo Fascella Pierluigi Febo Giulia La Placa Filippo Saiano Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Vito Armando Laudicina |
| author_facet | Carlo Greco Antonio Comparetti Giancarlo Fascella Pierluigi Febo Giulia La Placa Filippo Saiano Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Vito Armando Laudicina |
| author_sort | Carlo Greco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Peat is a common substrate used for the cultivation of potted plants. However, the use of peat in horticulture has recently been questioned from an environmental standpoint, since it is a non-renewable resource and plays a major role in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration. The aim of this work was to assess the potentialities of substrates obtained from vermicompost, compost and anaerobic digestion processes to partially substitute peat for sage (<i>Salvia officinalis</i> L.) cultivation. Therefore, we planned an experiment to assess the effect of these substrates on essential oil (EO) yield and composition, as well as on leaf nutrients concentration of sage plants. The three substrates were mixed with commercial peat (Radicom) at a ratio of 40% of alternative substrates and 40% of commercial peat. The chemical properties of the alternative substrates did not affect the leaf content of macro and micronutrients, as well as of heavy metals. Moreover, the EO yield and quality was not affected by the substrates and did not differ among them. Results provided evidence that the three alternative substrates can be used to partially substitute peat in soilless cultivation of sage plants. However, due to the higher values of the electrical conductivity of the substrates obtained from composting and anaerobic digestion processes, such substrates must be used with caution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:52:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2043ff299974eaa832cf495d15be60c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:52:42Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2043ff299974eaa832cf495d15be60c2023-12-03T12:16:27ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-01-011119810.3390/agronomy11010098Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i>Carlo Greco0Antonio Comparetti1Giancarlo Fascella2Pierluigi Febo3Giulia La Placa4Filippo Saiano5Michele Massimo Mammano6Santo Orlando7Vito Armando Laudicina8Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyCREA, Research Centre Protection and Certification, Bagheria, 90011 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyCREA, Research Centre Protection and Certification, Bagheria, 90011 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, ItalyPeat is a common substrate used for the cultivation of potted plants. However, the use of peat in horticulture has recently been questioned from an environmental standpoint, since it is a non-renewable resource and plays a major role in atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration. The aim of this work was to assess the potentialities of substrates obtained from vermicompost, compost and anaerobic digestion processes to partially substitute peat for sage (<i>Salvia officinalis</i> L.) cultivation. Therefore, we planned an experiment to assess the effect of these substrates on essential oil (EO) yield and composition, as well as on leaf nutrients concentration of sage plants. The three substrates were mixed with commercial peat (Radicom) at a ratio of 40% of alternative substrates and 40% of commercial peat. The chemical properties of the alternative substrates did not affect the leaf content of macro and micronutrients, as well as of heavy metals. Moreover, the EO yield and quality was not affected by the substrates and did not differ among them. Results provided evidence that the three alternative substrates can be used to partially substitute peat in soilless cultivation of sage plants. However, due to the higher values of the electrical conductivity of the substrates obtained from composting and anaerobic digestion processes, such substrates must be used with caution.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/98biowaste reusesubstrate heavy metalssage essential oilsage heavy metals |
| spellingShingle | Carlo Greco Antonio Comparetti Giancarlo Fascella Pierluigi Febo Giulia La Placa Filippo Saiano Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Vito Armando Laudicina Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> Agronomy biowaste reuse substrate heavy metals sage essential oil sage heavy metals |
| title | Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> |
| title_full | Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> |
| title_short | Effects of Vermicompost, Compost and Digestate as Commercial Alternative Peat-Based Substrates on Qualitative Parameters of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> |
| title_sort | effects of vermicompost compost and digestate as commercial alternative peat based substrates on qualitative parameters of i salvia officinalis i |
| topic | biowaste reuse substrate heavy metals sage essential oil sage heavy metals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/1/98 |
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