AUTHOR=Pérez-Piqueres Ana , Moreno Raquel , López-Martínez Maria , Albiach Remedios , Ribó Marta , Canet-Castelló Rodolfo 

TITLE=Composts and Organic By-Products in Pinus halepensis Forestry

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2018.00056

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2018.00056

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=In the context of a sustainable management of organic wastes, four different trials have been carried out to explore potential of easily available composts and organic by-products for Pinus halepensis forestry in Mediterranean areas. Experiments I and IV evaluated their suitability as fertilizers for nurseries and in pine replanting respectively, experiment III assessed their aptitude as components of forestry substrates and experiment II considered vermicompost efficiency as root-growth promoter. Different plant measurements, morphological attributes and analytical determinations were used to assess seedlings quality and substrates and fertilizers aptitude. Organic fertilization in nurseries produced plantlets with similar morphological and nutritional state than mineral products, reaching quality standards. In pine plantation, amendments clearly increased soil organic matter levels so enhanced nutritional and structural conditions in soil. When evaluating different mixtures as substrates, no important differences appeared among treatments, except for seedlings higher aerial development when using coconut fibre. These results indicate that organic by-products and composts can be used for fertilizing purposes and as components in forestry substrate for P. halepensis. The use of vermicompost, though, did not produce the expected effects as root-growth promoter, but further research is needed to comprehend the reason.