Enhancement of Germination and Growth of Slickspot Peppergrass in a New Medium with Two Compost Organic Fractions

Abstract

Slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) is an herbaceous biennal or possibly perennial "rare" endemic plant of the southwestern Idaho high desert listed as a threatened species. This plant establishes perennial seed banks, with seeds remaining dormant and viable for several years. This study aimed to enhance the germination and early growth of this plant by adopting a new medium, a nutrient-enriched agar solution, also added with humic acid (HA) and water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) fractions isolated from a green compost (GC) and a mixed compost (MC). The germination percentage of slickspot peppergrass in this new medium was much greater than that obtained in previous studies. Further, the addition of GC-HA in the medium enhanced significantly the germination and early growth of this plant. The addition of GC-WEOM and MC-WEOM were beneficial only on plant growth for at least 7 months.

Effects of Composted and Vermicomposted Sugarcane Industry Wastes and Farm Manure on Tomato Quality and Yield

“…Higher contents of Ca and and vitamin C in tomato fruits have also been observed with vermi-compost application [15]. The composition of compost also affect the yield of crops such as tomato [9]. It has been reported that an application of vermi-compost enhances soil fertility [16] by providing with essential nutrient [17].…”

“…Thus, application of composts as a soil amendment has multiple benefits such as improving the soil health, minimizing the disease threat and controlling the soil erosion [8]. Moreover, the organic material mineralization improves nutrient availability, which in turn improves crop yield [9]. Vermi-compost materials are produced through the effective interaction of microbes and earthworms that could be used to improve the soil fertility [7].…”