Exploiting Eichhornia crassipes Shoots Extract as a Natural Source of Nutrients for Producing Healthy Tomato Plants

Seeking for safe and cheap alternatives to provide the nutrient requirements of crops remains the most significant alternative for obtaining healthy and economical products. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the efficiency of aqueous water hyacinth shoot extract as a source of nutrients to feed tomato plants. Therefore, the effects of three fertilization treatments (without foliar spraying, commercial synthetic solution and natural solution of water hyacinth shoot extract) on the nutritional status and biomass yield of tomato were investigated. The experiment was designed in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. At different growth stages, several macro- and micronutrients, in addition to the final yield at harvest, were estimated. The results showed that at all growth stages of tomato (vegetative, flowering, fruiting and maturity), the natural solution of water hyacinth caused the maximum increases in phosphorus, iron, zinc, manganese, and selenium. However, the differences between the natural solution of water hyacinth and synthetic solution in nitrogen and potassium at the vegetative stage, phosphorus at the flowering and the fruiting stages, and manganese and selenium at the maturity stage were not significant. The increases in fresh and dry weights and fruit yield of tomato plants owing to the natural solution of water hyacinth application were 37.5, 56.8 and 72.2%, respectively, over the control. Natural organic solution of water hyacinth application increased the net return of tomato cultivation by approximately 1.84 and 1.63 times compared with the conventional practice (control) and synthetic chemical solution, respectively. It could be concluded that exploiting the natural organic solution of water hyacinth achieves several profits in agriculture via fertilization programs by enhancing the income of tomato farmers. Accordingly, it is recommended to benefit from the wastes of water hyacinth plants that are annually removed from the Nile River and other waterways.

     

Schwermetallverteilung und Tongehalte in Böden

Heavy metal distribution and clay contents in soils . In soil profiles differing considerably in horizon pattern and parent material the contents of Mn, Zn, Cu and Co were correlated with those of clay (and CEC), of total Fe (and dithionite soluble Fe) and - after relation to clay - with C. The correlations with clay, CEC, Fe_t and Fe_d were in all cases positive and highly significant, though differing between the different metals and between the references. Deviations for all elements are due to lithogenic differences in soils from mesozoic sediments and for Mn also due to its lower pedogenic stability. The correlations with C were not significant, since O horizons were not yet investigated. The ‘mobility’ of the heavy metals ( = EDTA + NH₄O Ac-extractable in relation to total amount) in topsoils could be more correlated (negative) with the reserves than with other soil features. Relating the ‘immobile’ heavy metal contents to the other soil features considerably improved the correlations.