Use of organic waste and bokashi-type fermented compost in the development of cauliflower seedlings

Abstract

The formation of seedlings reflects the culture's performance, and the substrate may influence the obtainment of seedlings. Bokashi compost and organic residues can change substrate characteristics and influence seedling development. The present study aimed to analyze the development of cauliflower seedlings by adding bokashi-type fermented compost and agricultural residues to the substrate. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design in a 5x2 factorial scheme, with five conditions of agricultural residues (control (no residues), coffee residue, yerba mate residue, corn residue, and residue mixture (coffee, yerba mate, and corn)) two conditions of bokashi addition (with (5%) and without) and 18 repetitions. The sowing of cauliflower was performed in polyethylene trays and kept in a protected environment for 30 days. Fresh and dry mass of shoots (stem and leaves), number of leaves per seedling, relative water content (RWC) in leaves, and leaf pigments were evaluated. Data analysis of variance and comparison of means done by the Tukey test, multivariate analysis, and linear correlation. The bokashi compost favored the development of cauliflower seedlings. However, the addition of agricultural residues demonstrated efficiency only when incorporated with bokashi. The use of the residue mixture rendered the best performance of the cauliflower seedlings by adding organic residues to the substrate.