Leafy Vegetables' Agronomic Variables, Nitrate, and Bioactive Compounds Have Different Responses to Bokashi, Mineral Fertilization, and Boiled Chicken Manure

In the current study, the effect of boiled chicken manure (BCM) doses by fertigation, bokashi, and mineral fertilization on the agronomic variables, bioactive compounds, and nitrate levels of two cultivars of lettuce (romaine and frisee types) and one cultivar of radicchio chicory was studied. Overall, higher agronomic variable values were found for the leafy plants in bokashi-fertilized plants. The BCM 5, 7.5, and 10% fertilization, in general, increased these variables in an apparent increasing trend. For chicory, bokashi presented higher means in comparison with BCM for TB, CB, and CI. For frisee lettuce, bokashi had the highest values for TB, CB, and PH. For romaine, bokashi presented the highest means for all the variables, except for PD. For bioactive compounds, each plant species responded differently when varying the fertilization source. For the nitrate content, higher values were observed in the bokashi and mineral treatments.

Automated summary

The effect of boiled chicken manure (BCM) doses on lettuce and chicory was studied using three different fertilization methods. Overall, bokashi-fertilized plants showed higher agronomic variable values. Increasing doses of BCM fertilization also increased these variables. In terms of bioactive compounds, each plant species responded differently to different fertilization sources. Higher nitrate levels were observed in bokashi and mineral treatments.