Effects of Biostimulant and Organic Amendment on Soil Properties and Nutrient Status of Lactuca Sativa in a Calcareous Saline-Sodic Soil

Sofia Karapouloutidou and Dionisios Gasparatos
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Sofia Karapouloutidou: Variety Research Department of Cultivated Plants, Ministry of Rural Development and Food, 57400 Sindos, Greece
Dionisios Gasparatos: Laboratory of Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Agriculture, 2019, vol. 9, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: Many studies have reported the advantages of alternative agricultural practices using more environmentally-friendly products to ameliorate the negative impacts of salinity and sodicity, but few have examined the effects of these products in saline-sodic soils with high soil organic matter (SOM) content. The objective of this research was to examine the effect of biostimulant (Actiwave) and organic amendment (Corresal Plus) product on soil properties and on the nutrient content of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.). A pot study with a calcareous saline-sodic soil was conducted using a completely randomized design with six treatments: Two rates of the biostimulant (ActA: 10 l ha −1 and ActB: 15 l ha −1 ), three rates of the amendment (CorA: 10 l ha −1 , CorB: 15 l ha −1 and CorC: 50 l ha −1 ) and a control treatment. The application of Actiwave reduced soil electrical conductivity (E.C.), soil exchangeable Na and soluble Cl. It also increased leaf N and Zn content. On the other hand, the higher dose of Corresal Plus reduced soil pH and soil exchangeable Na and increased soil NO 3 -N. Additionally, CorC treatment decreased leaf Cl and increased leaf N content enhancing lettuce growth.. However, in most cases, the two products did not provoke significant changes indicating that their positive effects were probably masked by the high SOM content and the calcareous nature of the studied soil.

Keywords: saline-sodic soil; amendment; biostimulant; lettuce; soil fertility; plant nutrients (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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