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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Compost Applications in Horticultural Production
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Compost Applications in Horticultural Production

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 3939

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Helen Tyler Kraus

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Interests: compost utilization; plant nutrition; sustainable production; education systems
Dr. Domenico Ronga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pharmacy Department, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, n.132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: sustainable agriculture; crop production; soil fertility; plant nutrition; organic agriculture; crop physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Composting is an effective method of capturing the nutrient and microbial resources of wastes and producing a product, called compost, that has wide applications in both containerized and soil-based horticultural plant production. The physical, chemical, and biological benefits of compost utilization in horticultural plant production may improve water and nutrient availability, disease resistance, and plant growth. Once composted, raw wastes, which would otherwise require expensive disposal, can be developed into useful resources. For these plant growth and environmental benefits to be attained, a compost addition needs to be carefully matched to the physical, chemical, biological, and nutritional needs of the specific horticultural production method. Soil-based plants are able to utilize a greater variety of compost characteristics than those grown in container media. Similarly, ornamental plant production may not require the same, careful attention to specific nutrient requirements as edible plant production does. Composts that are stable, free of pathogens and weed seeds, and have a defined nutrient concentration and availability can be more economically advantageous to horticultural production operations than raw wastes if they are consistent, high-quality, and dry enough to reduce shipping costs.

Dr. Helen Tyler Kraus
Dr. Domenico Ronga
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • compost utilization
  • nutrient availability
  • container medium
  • soil organic matter
  • disease suppression

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3935 KiB  
Article
Composts from Grapevine and Hazelnut By-Products: A Sustainable Peat Partial Replacement for the Growth of Micropropagated Hazelnut and Raspberry in Containers
by Cristina Bignami, Francesco Reyes, Mario Saccaggi, Catello Pane, Massimo Zaccardelli and Domenico Ronga
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040481 - 12 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
By-products of the agri-food sector are increasingly employed in the production of new organic preparations, with biofertilizer and biostimulating functions, thus reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources and turning production chains towards circular economy and sustainability. Two composts were produced with solid digestate [...] Read more.
By-products of the agri-food sector are increasingly employed in the production of new organic preparations, with biofertilizer and biostimulating functions, thus reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources and turning production chains towards circular economy and sustainability. Two composts were produced with solid digestate (85%) as a common component and different sources of recyclable materials (15%): vine pruning wood (compost A), or shells and skin of hazelnuts (compost B). The two composts were used in replacement of variable percentages of peat in nursery substrates, and their effects on various growth parameters assessed on micropropagated plants of two widely demanded species: raspberry (compost A) and hazelnut (compost B). Composts revealed microbiologically safe growth conditions, nutritional content suitable for agronomic purposes and levels of heavy metals in compliance with the European standards. The trials demonstrated the possibility for a partial replacement of peat (up to 20% in hazelnut and 40% in raspberry) in nursery conditions, without compromising, and in some cases improving, the vegetative growth and plants nutritional status. Nonetheless, the highly variable hazelnut growth responses highlighted that compost concentration should be fine-tuned on sensitive species to avoid negative effects. In the case of raspberry, the use of these substrates could also be experimented for soilless production. Because of the potential for metals accumulation, analysis on the extended applications should be made prior to considering field applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Compost Applications in Horticultural Production)
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14 pages, 3081 KiB  
Article
Effects of LED Lights and New Long-Term-Release Fertilizers on Lettuce Growth: A Contribution for Sustainable Horticulture
by Elisabetta Sgarbi, Giulia Santunione, Francesco Barbieri, Monia Montorsi, Isabella Lancellotti and Luisa Barbieri
Horticulturae 2023, 9(3), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9030404 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1686
Abstract
The horticulture sector has been directed by European guidelines to improve its practices related to environmental sustainability. Moreover, the practice of horticulture in urban areas is increasing since it provides fresh products that are locally produced. At the same time, horticulture needs to [...] Read more.
The horticulture sector has been directed by European guidelines to improve its practices related to environmental sustainability. Moreover, the practice of horticulture in urban areas is increasing since it provides fresh products that are locally produced. At the same time, horticulture needs to implement circular economy approaches and energy-efficient models. Therefore, to address these issues, this study investigated the effects of an integrated fertilizer-box-based cultivation system equipped with LED lights and coated porous inorganic materials (C-PIMs), which was applied as fertilizer, on Lactuca sativa L. growth. Two different types of lightweight aggregates were formulated considering agri-food and post-consumer waste, and they were enriched with potassium and phosphorus. Involving waste in the process was part of their valorization in the circular economy. Using PIMs as fertilizers enabled the controlled release of nutrients over time. The tests were carried out in controlled conditions using two LED lighting systems capable of changing their light spectrum according to the growth phases of the plants. The effects of two different lighting schemes on the growth of lettuce plants, in combination with different amounts of aggregates, were studied. The results showed that increasing the amount of C-PIMs statistically improved the lettuce growth in terms of dry biomass production (+60% and +34% for two different types of PIM application) when the plants were exposed to the first LED scheme (LED-1). Plant height and leaf areas significantly increased when exposed to the second LED scheme (LED-2), in combination with the presence of C-PIMs in the soil. The analysis of the heavy metal contents in the lettuce leaves and the soil at the end of the test revealed that these elements remained significantly below the legislated thresholds. The experimental achievements of this study identified a new approach to improve the environmental sustainability of horticulture, especially in an urban/domestic context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Compost Applications in Horticultural Production)
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