Elena Ordiales¹, Juan Ignacio Gutiérrez¹, Lorena Zajara¹, Jesús Gil¹, and Manfred Lanzke²

1. Centro TecnológicoNacionalAgroalimentario Extremadura (CTAEX), Spain

2. IFN, AnwenderzentrumGmbH, Germany

 

 

Abstract: FloraPell® is a new organic fertilizer, made fromlow grade coarse grease wool with a mineral content of 10-12% Total Nitrogen and 4-6% Potassium, it is a 100% renewable fertilizer, manufactured by an environmentally friendly process. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of floraPell as soil amendment and organic fertilizer in two different field-grown vegetable crops, processing tomato and broccoli. It was demonstrated that the floraPell application as organic fertilizer at the highest doses allowed obtain the highest yields, as much for processing tomato as for broccoli crops under organic farming growing conditions. However, it seems that the quality parameters analysed in the final product, tomato fruits and broccoli heads, were not influenced by fertilising treatments evaluated. Regarding the influence of floraPell as soil amendment, based on the obtained results, the soil characteristics evolution over the trial did not varied with the different treatments applied, as it was very similar among them and even to the control treatment. For both crops, the soil characteristics evolution followed the same trend, except for the organic matter content, which maintained at the same level in processing tomato trial, while decreased slightly at the end of the trial for broccoli. The results suggest that floraPell can be used successfully as alternative biofertilizer, at a doses of 2000 kg/ha (200 N) for both crops, processing tomato and broccoli, making sure a profitable yield for the farmers, in a sustainable and environmental friendly way.

 

Key words: organic fertilizer, wool pellets, soil amendment, processing tomato, broccoli