Mentha spicata and Salvia fruticosa composts as soil amendments in tomato cultivation

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 332; no. 1-2; pp. 495 - 509
• Main Authors: Chalkos, Dimitris, Kadoglidou, Kalliopi, Karamanoli, Katerina, Fotiou, Christina, Pavlatou-Ve, Athina S, Eleftherohorinos, Ilias G, Constantinidou, Helen-Isis A, Vokou, Despoina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-07-2010; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Agricultural site preparation; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; allelochemicals; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Comparative studies; Compost; Composting; Composts; Cover crops; Crop rotation; Cultivation; Ecology; Essential oils; Fruit cultivation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; General agronomy. Plant production; Growth chambers; Life Sciences; Mode of action; Nitrification; Organic farming; Organic fertilizers; organic production; Organic soils; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Parasitic plants. Weeds; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plants; Regular Article; Soil amendment; Soil amendments; Soil color; Soil microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil samples; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil structure; Soil treatment; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Tomatoes; Weeds; Greece; Fungi; Plant growth; Essential oils; Nitrification; Bacteria; Organic farming; Allelochemicals; Weeds; Essential oil plant; Growth; Mentha spicata; Amendment; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Lycopersicon esculentum; Essential oil; Solanaceae; C3-Type; Production system; Compost; Vegetals; Weed; Biochemical compound; Alternative agriculture; Soil management; Biological compound; Soils; Composting; Nitrogen cycle; Vegetable crop; Labiatae; Organic agriculture; Prokaryote; Spermatophyta; Microorganism; Soil plant relation; Salvia
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-010-0315-4

Τhe potential use of the aromatic plants Mentha spicata L. (spearmint) and Salvia fruticosa Mill. (sage) as soil amendments was evaluated. For this purpose, tomato seeds were sown in pots that had been filled with composts made from these plants and mixed with soil collected from an organically cultivated tomato field. A 2 × 2 × 4 [two types of fertilizer (synthetic and organic), two types of compost (M. spicata and S. fruticosa) and four compost rates (0%, 2%, 4% and 8%, w/w)] factorial experiment was used; the experiment was conducted twice in a growth chamber and lasted 60 days. At 0, 20, 40 and 60 days, after the establishment of the experiment, the soil bacterial and fungal abundance, the growth of nitrifying bacteria, the number of emerging weeds and the shoot length of tomato plants were measured in all treatments; at the end of the experiment, the above and belowground biomass of tomato plants was also determined. Soil microbial density increased with increasing compost rate of both species; the highest fungal and bacterial densities were recorded at 40 and 60 days, after the establishment of the experiment, respectively. Nitrifying bacteria were present in all treatments and at all sampling times. Both composts had a stimulating effect on tomato growth, which was remarkably pronounced with M. spicata. In contrast, weed emergence was reduced, but only in soils amended with M. spicata. The results suggest that M. spicata compost added at a rate of 4% to 8% is a very promising soil amendment, since it stimulates tomato growth, increases soil bacterial and fungal abundance and inhibits weed emergence. Further research is needed to elucidate the mode of action of M. spicata compost, its effect under field conditions and its possible use in mixed crop, rotational crop or cover crop systems.