Phytotoxicity test to evaluate maturity gradation in organic fertilizers
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Abstract
The maturity of the compost can be determined by germination assays using plants species sensitive to phytotoxic metabolites. These substances should be transformed or immobilized during the maturity phase of the composting process, leading to a biological stable material with very low phytotoxicity. This work intended to introduce the Zucconi´s phytotoxicity test in order to establish a quick method to evaluate the maturity gradation of organic fertilizers. The application of this method discard the use of organic fertilizers with low quality. Consequently it can be avoid the possible adverse effects on plant, soil and environment, preventing the release of phytotoxic substances affecting crops development. The germination index (GI) was determined using seeds of Raphanus sativum in 44 compost samples of the production areas. According to the results, the 67 % of the production areas showed values of GI ≥80%, representing no presence of phytotoxic substances; the 7 % showed GI≤50% indicating strong presence of such elements and the 26 % presented values between 50 to 80 % showing moderated presence of these substances. The application of this methodology reinforce the importance of the GI, being a more sensitive parameter than the germination percentage when evaluating the phytotoxic potential of an organic material. Our results showed the effectiveness of the method to determine the maturity of the compost.
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