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Mentha spicata and Salvia fruticosa composts as soil amendments in tomato cultivation

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Abstract

Τhe potential use of the aromatic plants Mentha spicata L. (spearmint) and Salvia fruticosa Mill. (sage) as soil amendments was evaluated. For this purpose, tomato seeds were sown in pots that had been filled with composts made from these plants and mixed with soil collected from an organically cultivated tomato field. A 2 × 2 × 4 [two types of fertilizer (synthetic and organic), two types of compost (M. spicata and S. fruticosa) and four compost rates (0%, 2%, 4% and 8%, w/w)] factorial experiment was used; the experiment was conducted twice in a growth chamber and lasted 60 days. At 0, 20, 40 and 60 days, after the establishment of the experiment, the soil bacterial and fungal abundance, the growth of nitrifying bacteria, the number of emerging weeds and the shoot length of tomato plants were measured in all treatments; at the end of the experiment, the above and belowground biomass of tomato plants was also determined. Soil microbial density increased with increasing compost rate of both species; the highest fungal and bacterial densities were recorded at 40 and 60 days, after the establishment of the experiment, respectively. Nitrifying bacteria were present in all treatments and at all sampling times. Both composts had a stimulating effect on tomato growth, which was remarkably pronounced with M. spicata. In contrast, weed emergence was reduced, but only in soils amended with M. spicata. The results suggest that M. spicata compost added at a rate of 4% to 8% is a very promising soil amendment, since it stimulates tomato growth, increases soil bacterial and fungal abundance and inhibits weed emergence. Further research is needed to elucidate the mode of action of M. spicata compost, its effect under field conditions and its possible use in mixed crop, rotational crop or cover crop systems.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, Ministry of Development, Greece (Programme 2001 ED317). We thank the statistician Dr. G. Menexes from the School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, for his advice on statistical issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dimitris Chalkos, Christina Fotiou & Despoina Vokou

  2. Laboratory of Agricultural Chemistry, Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Kalliopi Kadoglidou, Katerina Karamanoli & Helen-Isis A. Constantinidou

  3. Laboratory of Soil Science, Department of Hydraulics and Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Athina S. Pavlatou-Ve

  4. Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Ilias G. Eleftherohorinos

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  1. Dimitris Chalkos
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  2. Kalliopi Kadoglidou
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  3. Katerina Karamanoli
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  7. Helen-Isis A. Constantinidou
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  8. Despoina Vokou
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Correspondence to Despoina Vokou.

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Chalkos, D., Kadoglidou, K., Karamanoli, K. et al. Mentha spicata and Salvia fruticosa composts as soil amendments in tomato cultivation. Plant Soil 332, 495–509 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0315-4

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