Influence of Composted Biodiesel Cake on Growth, Yield, and Micronutrient Composition of Tomato
2011
Chaturvedi, Shivani
There has been growing interest in commercial plantations of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata because of their ability to produce biodiesel fuel. A substantial portion of the by-product of the biodiesel extraction process is the de-oiled cake. Prior research has demonstrated its potential to be gainfully utilized as organic fertilizer in composted form. The commercial utilization, however, is still a distant dream as more research is required to obtain optimal proportions and demonstrate their efficacy on specific crops. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of composted de-oiled cakes of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata wastes on the growth, yield, color, and macronutrient and micronutrient composition of Lycopersicon esculentum (cultivar Bezosheetal) fruits. The composted cake was added to soil in various proportions. The results indicate that addition of the composted organic wastes improve availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), as well as key micronutrients such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in soil. Consequently, a significant improvement in yield and protein was observed in the tomato crops grown in the soil applied with specific composted proportions. The availability of micronutrients in the fruit was also enhanced, although there was reduction in color parameters. Thus, Jatropha- and Pongamia-based composted fertilizers have demonstrated their utility as commercially viable alternative to chemical fertilizers.
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