Formulation of a liquid fertilizer for sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) using vermicompost leachate

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2008-09, Vol.99 (14), p.6174-6180
• Main Authors: Gutiérrez-Miceli, Federico Antonio, García-Gómez, Roberto Carlos, Rincón Rosales, Reiner, Abud-Archila, Miguel, María Angela, Oliva Llaven, Cruz, Marcos Joaquín Guillen, Dendooven, Luc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of sewage sludges and wastes; Biotechnology; Electric Conductivity; Environment and pollution; Fertilizers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; NPK triple 17 fertilizer; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Polyethylene nonylphenol adherent; Polyoxyethylene tridecyl alcohol dispersant; Soil; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Sorghum; Sorghum - growth & development; Sorghum bicolor; Sorghum growth; Vermicompost leachate
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.12.043

Leachate from vermicomposting contains large amounts of plant nutrients and can be used as liquid fertilizer, but normally diluted to avoid plant damage. The amount of nutrients applied is thus reduced so that an additional fertilizer is required. We investigated how dilution of vermicompost leachate combined with different concentrations of NPK triple 17 fertilizer, and polyoxyethylene tridecyl alcohol as dispersant and polyethylene nonylphenol as adherent to increase efficiency of fertilizer uptake, affected sorghum plant development. The vermicomposting leachate with pH 7.8 and electrolytic conductivity 2.6 dS m −1, contained 834 mg K + l −1, 247 mg NO 3 - l −1 and 168 mg PO 4 3 - l −1, was free of pathogens and resulted in a 65 % germination index. Vermicompost leachate can be used as liquid fertilizer for the cultivation of sorghum without dilution and mixed with 140–170 g l −1 of NPK triple 17 fertilizer and 2–3 ml −1 of dispersant and 0–1 ml l −1 adherent. It was found that vermicompost leachate stimulated plant development, but fertilization with NPK was required for maximum growth.