Volume 15, Issue 2 (Journal of Soil and Plant Interactions 2024)
2024, 15(2): 1-18 |
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Department of Soil Science, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Abstract: (731 Views)
Abstract
Due to the fast mineralization and supply of NPK elements, insect frass has a very high potential for complete or partial replacement with mineral fertilizers. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of organic fertilizer of mealworm (yellow Tenebrio molitor larvae) as a growth substrate on the morphological indices and leaf greenness index of the ornamental plant Philodendron. To achieve the objectives of this research, an experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications and 9 treatments (i.e., 27 pots in total). The treatments consisted of different proportions of mealworm fertilizer in combination with a conventional growing medium for philodendron plants in greenhouses. The results showed that the highest values of vegetative growth indices and leaf greenness index were obtained from the application of 40% perlite, 30% cocopeat, 10% mealworm, 10% vermiculite and 10% coal soil. However, an increase of more than 10% in mealworm fertilizer could not make a significant change in the investigated traits. In fact, it can be stated that when the replacement amount of mealworm fertilizer with cocopeat in the conventional substrate in greenhouse crops was 10 percent by volume, the highest values of vegetative growth and leaf greenness index were obtained, whereas a reduction in plant growth was observed at 15, 20 and 25 percent by volume and plants were found to be dead at volumes exceeding 30 percent. Due to the high salinity (10.3 dS m-1) and pH (8.55) of this frass, as well as the fact that changing the mealworm substrate might alter the type of produced frass, it is recommended to use substrates that reduce the salinity and pH of the final substrate.
Background and Objectives: Many insects are capable of processing organic by-products because they are naturally able to use natural products as food, which reduces the amount of these substances in the environment and allows them to be used as fertilizers. Due to rapid mineralization and the provision of plant elements such as N, P and K, insect frass has a very high potential for complete or partial replacement with NPK mineral fertilizers (Poveda et al., 2019; Watson et al, 2021). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of mealworm organic fertilizer (yellow Tenebrio molitor larvae) as a growth medium on the morphological indices and leaf greenness index of Philodendron pedatum as an ornamental plant.
Methods: A suitable volume percentage of wheat bran, pulp from potatoes, and carrots was used as the initial substrate for mealworm. The experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications and nine treatments. The treatments included different ratios of mealworm fertilizer (%v/v) in combination with the conventional Philodendron pedatum growing medium in greenhouses as following: 1) 40% perlite, 40% cocopeat, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil, 2) replacing 5% of mealworm with cocopeat, 3) replacing 10% of mealworm with cocopeat, 4) replacing 15% of mealworm with cocopeat, 5) replacing 20% of mealworm with cocopeat, 6) replacing 25% of mealworm with cocopeat, 7) replacing 30% of mealworm with cocopeat, 8) replacing 35% of mealworm with cocopeat, and 9) 40% perlite, 40% mealworm, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil. At the end of the growth period (6 months), vegetative growth indices such as plant height, leaf length and width, number of leaves, petiole length, stem diameter and length, as well as leaf greenness index were measured. The data were analyzed using SAS software (v. 9.4) and the means were compared based on the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Results: The highest values of vegetative growth indices and leaf greenness index were obtained due to the application of 40% perlite, 30% cocopeat, 10% mealworm, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil. However, an increase of more than 10% in mealworm fertilizer could not make a significant change in the studied traits. In fact, it can be stated that when the replacement amount of mealworm fertilizer with cocopeat in the conventional substrate in greenhouse crops was 10% by volume, the highest values of vegetative growth and leaf greenness index were obtained. Whereas a reduction in the plant growth was observed at 15, 20 and 25 percents by volume of mealworm fertilizer, and the plants were found to be dead at volumes exceeding 30 percent. Examining the chemical characteristics of some insect frass, such as that from mealworms, reveals that it contains significant levels of N, P and K that can rival other animal manures, especially chicken manures, in their potential to enhance plant growth. But unlike mineral fertilizers, insect frass contains a lower concentration of micronutrients (i.e., Cu and Zn). Therefore, mealworms can be used as organic fertilizers due to their nutritional content (Houben et al., 2021).
Conclusions: Although insect frass is increasingly considered a potential fertilizer, the dynamics of nutrient supply by this frass are still poorly understood. Due to the high salinity (10.3 dS m-1) and pH (8.55) of this frass, as well as the fact that the fertilizer produced varies as the bed of mealworm larvae changes, it is recommended to use substrates that reduce the salinity and pH of the final substrate.
References:
1. Houben, D., Daoulas, G., Dulaurent, A.M., 2021. Assessment of the short-term fertilizer potential of mealworm frass using a pot experiment. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 28, 5.714596.
2. Poveda, J., Jiménez-Gómez, A., Saati-Santamaría, Z., Usategui-Martín, R., Rivas García-Fraile, R.P., 2019. Mealworm frass as a potential biofertilizer and abiotic stress tolerance inductor in plants. Appl. Soil Ecol. 142, 110–122.
3. Watson, C., Preißing, T., Wichern, F., 2021. Plant nitrogen uptake from insect frass is affected by the nitrification rate as revealed by urease and nitrification inhibitors. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 27, 5.721840.
Due to the fast mineralization and supply of NPK elements, insect frass has a very high potential for complete or partial replacement with mineral fertilizers. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of organic fertilizer of mealworm (yellow Tenebrio molitor larvae) as a growth substrate on the morphological indices and leaf greenness index of the ornamental plant Philodendron. To achieve the objectives of this research, an experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications and 9 treatments (i.e., 27 pots in total). The treatments consisted of different proportions of mealworm fertilizer in combination with a conventional growing medium for philodendron plants in greenhouses. The results showed that the highest values of vegetative growth indices and leaf greenness index were obtained from the application of 40% perlite, 30% cocopeat, 10% mealworm, 10% vermiculite and 10% coal soil. However, an increase of more than 10% in mealworm fertilizer could not make a significant change in the investigated traits. In fact, it can be stated that when the replacement amount of mealworm fertilizer with cocopeat in the conventional substrate in greenhouse crops was 10 percent by volume, the highest values of vegetative growth and leaf greenness index were obtained, whereas a reduction in plant growth was observed at 15, 20 and 25 percent by volume and plants were found to be dead at volumes exceeding 30 percent. Due to the high salinity (10.3 dS m-1) and pH (8.55) of this frass, as well as the fact that changing the mealworm substrate might alter the type of produced frass, it is recommended to use substrates that reduce the salinity and pH of the final substrate.
Background and Objectives: Many insects are capable of processing organic by-products because they are naturally able to use natural products as food, which reduces the amount of these substances in the environment and allows them to be used as fertilizers. Due to rapid mineralization and the provision of plant elements such as N, P and K, insect frass has a very high potential for complete or partial replacement with NPK mineral fertilizers (Poveda et al., 2019; Watson et al, 2021). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of mealworm organic fertilizer (yellow Tenebrio molitor larvae) as a growth medium on the morphological indices and leaf greenness index of Philodendron pedatum as an ornamental plant.
Methods: A suitable volume percentage of wheat bran, pulp from potatoes, and carrots was used as the initial substrate for mealworm. The experiment was carried out in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications and nine treatments. The treatments included different ratios of mealworm fertilizer (%v/v) in combination with the conventional Philodendron pedatum growing medium in greenhouses as following: 1) 40% perlite, 40% cocopeat, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil, 2) replacing 5% of mealworm with cocopeat, 3) replacing 10% of mealworm with cocopeat, 4) replacing 15% of mealworm with cocopeat, 5) replacing 20% of mealworm with cocopeat, 6) replacing 25% of mealworm with cocopeat, 7) replacing 30% of mealworm with cocopeat, 8) replacing 35% of mealworm with cocopeat, and 9) 40% perlite, 40% mealworm, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil. At the end of the growth period (6 months), vegetative growth indices such as plant height, leaf length and width, number of leaves, petiole length, stem diameter and length, as well as leaf greenness index were measured. The data were analyzed using SAS software (v. 9.4) and the means were compared based on the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Results: The highest values of vegetative growth indices and leaf greenness index were obtained due to the application of 40% perlite, 30% cocopeat, 10% mealworm, 10% vermiculite, and 10% coal soil. However, an increase of more than 10% in mealworm fertilizer could not make a significant change in the studied traits. In fact, it can be stated that when the replacement amount of mealworm fertilizer with cocopeat in the conventional substrate in greenhouse crops was 10% by volume, the highest values of vegetative growth and leaf greenness index were obtained. Whereas a reduction in the plant growth was observed at 15, 20 and 25 percents by volume of mealworm fertilizer, and the plants were found to be dead at volumes exceeding 30 percent. Examining the chemical characteristics of some insect frass, such as that from mealworms, reveals that it contains significant levels of N, P and K that can rival other animal manures, especially chicken manures, in their potential to enhance plant growth. But unlike mineral fertilizers, insect frass contains a lower concentration of micronutrients (i.e., Cu and Zn). Therefore, mealworms can be used as organic fertilizers due to their nutritional content (Houben et al., 2021).
Conclusions: Although insect frass is increasingly considered a potential fertilizer, the dynamics of nutrient supply by this frass are still poorly understood. Due to the high salinity (10.3 dS m-1) and pH (8.55) of this frass, as well as the fact that the fertilizer produced varies as the bed of mealworm larvae changes, it is recommended to use substrates that reduce the salinity and pH of the final substrate.
References:
1. Houben, D., Daoulas, G., Dulaurent, A.M., 2021. Assessment of the short-term fertilizer potential of mealworm frass using a pot experiment. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 28, 5.714596.
2. Poveda, J., Jiménez-Gómez, A., Saati-Santamaría, Z., Usategui-Martín, R., Rivas García-Fraile, R.P., 2019. Mealworm frass as a potential biofertilizer and abiotic stress tolerance inductor in plants. Appl. Soil Ecol. 142, 110–122.
3. Watson, C., Preißing, T., Wichern, F., 2021. Plant nitrogen uptake from insect frass is affected by the nitrification rate as revealed by urease and nitrification inhibitors. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 27, 5.721840.
Keywords: Mealworm frass, Philodendron Florida ghost, Leaf greenness index, Vegetative growth index.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Soil (growth medium) and plant relations in greenhouse culture
Received: 2023/11/15 | Accepted: 2024/03/6 | Published: 2024/11/25
Received: 2023/11/15 | Accepted: 2024/03/6 | Published: 2024/11/25
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
