GO TECOLIVE - Effects of an organic compost on soil fertility and test plant development

Abstract

This study, conducted under the Operational Group "Techniques and technology for valorization of by-products in olive cultivation - TECOLIVE" - PDR 2020-101-031764, aimed to test the effectiveness and safety of an organic fertilizer obtained by composting at the farm and using existing resources, namely by-products of the olive grove and effluents from livestock activity, including leaves and twigs from olive cleaning and sheep manure. The tests were carried out in pots, with two soils with different characteristics, considering the recommended dose of application, the inexistence of phytotoxic effects and the effectiveness of the product directly on soil fertility and indirectly on a test crop, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). For this purpose, besides the quantification of the results of the application of increasing doses of the fertilizer on the production of vegetable biomass, the analysis of the quality of the fertilizer and the evaluation of the effect on several parameters of the fertility of the receiving soils were also contemplated.The application of increasing amounts of organic compost led to significant increases on the biomass and on the plants diameter, as well as an increase on soil  parameters, MO, pH, and extratable phosphorus, zinc and copper.