COMPOSTING OF GREEN WASTE AND PHOSPHATE WASHING SLUDGE AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TOMATOES (Lycopersicon esculentum L)
YOUSSEF AIT RAHOU
Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Physiology of abiotic stresses" team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco and Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco and Laboratory of Botany and Plant Protection, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco .
KHALID FARES
Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Anthropobiology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
MERIEM MOBALIGH
Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Anthropobiology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
OMAR SAADANI HASSANI
Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Anthropobiology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
ABDERRAHIM BOUTASKNIT
Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Physiology of abiotic stresses" team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco and Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.
ALLAL DOUIRA
Laboratory of Botany and Plant Protection, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco.
RACHID BENKIRANE
Laboratory of Botany and Plant Protection, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco.
ABDELILAH MEDDICH *
Center of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, Research Unit labelled CNRST (Centre AgroBiotech-URL-CNRST-05), Physiology of abiotic stresses" team, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, 40000, Morocco and Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources (AGROBIOVAL), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study focused on the composting of green waste from quack grass and sludge from the washing of natural phosphates and their agronomic valorization. The physic-chemical parameters of waste and final product including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon, nitrogen, available phosphorus and ash levels, as well as the agronomic valorization was evaluated. The studied wastes reached maturity and stability after 3 months of composting with a C/N and NH4+/NO3- ratios of 12.39 and 0.11 respectively. Three doses of 5%, 10% and 20% of the compost were incorporated into the greenhouse tomato-growing medium. After 9 weeks of cultivation, the compost effectively improved the growth of Lycopersicon esculentum L. The 5% dose significantly increased growth parameters of tomato plants followed by doses 10 and then 20 % compared to the control. Indeed, the 5% dose increased the shoot height, the number of leaves, the leaf area, shoot and roots dry weight by 66, 55, 333 and 100% respectively compared to the control plants. Tomato plants amended with compost maintained higher relative water content (86%) than control plants (79%). While photosynthesis parameters exceeded 0.7 in the amended plants as opposed to the control plants, which did not exceed 0.64.
Keywords: Composting, grass waste, phosphate sludge, growth, tomato