Element composition and quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Biweri), grown with sheep-manure composts

Summary

Two representative Hungarian soil-types (slightly humus sandy and loamy saline) were used to study the effect of various compost-products, made from sheep-yard manure and phosphorous amendments on the biomass-production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Biweri) in a pot-experiment. Two types of phosphorous amendments, such as raw-phosphate with high- or a phosphorous rock with low solubility were used as amendments during the twelve-week composting process. Pots of five-hundred g weight were used and considering the ecophysiological demand of the lettuce, low (30 t/ha) optimum (60 t/ha) and provocative (120 t/ha) levels of manure compost were applied to the soils. Yield of lettuce and mineral content analysis were done by ICP and soil-analysis by TVG. Statistical differences were shown (LSD5%) following ANOVA. An increasing yield of lettuce was recorded simultaneously by the compost doses up to the provocative level at both soil-types. Effect of composts was found to be the best at the low-fertility sandy soil with slight humus content. Among the compost-types, the low-releasing-phosphorous-rock was the most appropriate also on the sandy soil. Summarizing the results, sheep-manure-composts could be the prospective amendments for the low-fertility soils.