The Utilization of Vermicomposting Outputs in Ecology Soilless Culture of Lettuce

The increase demands for food security, the expected future of climate change impacts, environmental concerns, water shortage and the need for recycling different organic wastes and mitigate their CO2emission were the driving forces for developing the use of vermicomposting outputs and ecology soilless culture. Two experiments were carried out during autumn seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013 at Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate (CLAC), Giza, Egypt under net house. First study investigated the ability of vermicomposting outputs as substrate and organic nutrient solution. Vermicompost mixed with perlite, vermiculite and sand (30: 70% v/v) compared to peat moss + perlite (50: 50% v/v) combined with different sources of nutrient solutions (vermi-tea, vermi-liquid and chemical solution) on the yield of lettuce. Study the effect of vermicompost mixed with perlite in different proportions of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 (v/v) compared to peat moss: perlite combined with different sources of nutrient solution (vermi-tea, compost-tea and chemical) on lettuce yield take a place in second study.Iceberg lettuce type cv. Robinson F1 hybrid was cultivated in both two experiments in split plot design with three replicates.

Data revealed that using vermicompost as a substrate combined with different substrates recorded the highest values of the physical properties of head lettuce during the two successive seasons compared to peat moss + perlite. Vermicompost + sand followed by vermicompost + perlite recorded the highest results of the physical properties of head lettuce. Otherwise, obtained results of the second experiment illustrated that increasing the vermicompost rate decreased the physical properties of head lettuce. The proportion of vermicompost + perlite (1: 3 v/v) gave the highest records of the physical properties of head lettuce compared to the control. The vermi-liquid and vermi-tea gave positive effects on the physical properties of head lettuce in the first and second study respectively. The chemical nutrient solution recorded the highest N (%) content in both experiments.

The study supported the use of vermicompost and vermi-liquid instead of peat moss and chemical nutrient solution in ecology soilless production of lettuce plants. The vermicomposting could be used for recycling the organic urban wastes to produce input materials of soilless, green roof and ecology culture besides mitigating greenhouse gases (GHG's) emission.