Almond By-Products Substrates as Sustainable Amendments for Green Bean Cultivation

• Published in: Plants (Basel) 2024-02, Vol.13 (4), p.1-21
• Main Authors: Silva, Vânia, Oliveira, Ivo, Pereira, Jose Alberto, Gonçalves, Berta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural wastes; Almond; almond by-products; Almond hulls; Almond shells; Antioxidant capacity; Beans; Biochemical characteristics; Biochemistry; Byproducts; Chemical properties; Crops; Cultivation; Drought; Flavonoids; Horticulture; Hulls; Humidity; Irrigation; Mulches; Peat; Perlite; Phaseolus vulgaris L; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Photosynthetic pigments; Plant growth; Quality; Salinity; Shells; Skin; Soil amendments; Statistical analysis; Substrates; Temperature; Total phenolics
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants13040540

Almond processing generates a high quantity of by-products, presenting the untapped potential for alternative applications and improved sustainability in production. This study aimed to evaluate whether the incorporation of almond by-products (hulls/shells) can improve the biochemical characteristics of green bean pods when used as an alternative to traditional growing media in green bean plants. Four substrates were prepared: the Control substrate (C): 70% peat + 30% perlite; substrate (AS): 70% peat + 30% shells; substrate (AH): 70% peat + 30% perlite + 1 cm hulls as mulch; substrate (MIX): 70% peat + 15% shells + 15% hulls. Plants were grown in each of these substrates and subjected to two irrigation levels, 100% and 50% of their water-holding capacity. Biochemical parameters (photosynthetic pigments, total phenolics, flavonoids, ortho-diphenols, soluble proteins, antioxidant capacity) and color were evaluated in the harvested pods. Results showed that pods from plants growing in AH substrate presented statistically significant higher values in their total phenolic content, while AS and MIX substrates did not reveal significant benefits. Summarily, this study highlights the potential of almond hulls as a promising medium for green bean cultivation, particularly when employed as mulch. Further research is recommended to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the application of almond by-products as natural fertilizers/mulch. This research was funded by national funds through FCT, MCTES and FSE, grant number 2021.07453.BD and through the projects: UIDB/04033/2020, CITAB (https://doi.org/10.544 99/UIDB/04033/2020), and LA/P/0126/2020, Inov4Agro; and through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020, and UIDP/00690/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (https://doi.org/10.5 4499/LA/P/0007/2020). The APC was funded by National Funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects UIDB/04033/2020 (CITAB).