Invasive plants in support of urban farming : fermentation-based organic fertilizer from Japanese knotweed

Cvejić, Rozalija (author), Klages-Haberkern, Susanne (author), Pintar, Marina (author), Resman, Lara (author), Slatnar, Ana (author), Mihelič, Rok (author)

In this study, fermentation-based organic fertilizer (OF) was produced from the aboveground parts of Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decr. The quantity of N in OF (17.2 kg t$^{−1}$ fresh lactic-fermented OF) was higher than average in cattle farmyard manure, but on a comparable level to solid poultry and rabbit manure. The OF was applied on a field to evaluate its effect on Chinese cabbage. The applied nutrients with OF N159 were 159, 19 and 100 kg ha$^{−1}$ for N, P, and K, respectively. The applied nutrients with OF N317 were 317, 38, and 200 kg ha$^{−1}$ for N, P, and K, respectively. The average mass of marketable Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis Rupr.) single heads ranged from 253 g with N0 treatment to 602 g with N317 treatment. The nutrient recovery efficiency RE$_{N,P,K}$ was 37, 20, and 50% for N317 and 55, 48, and 77% for N159. The OF was found to be a suitable alternative to farmyard manure. Additionally, OF produced from F. japonica could complement existing approaches to limit the spread of invasive species in cities. Further research should focus on perennial crop rotations and cropping patterns, different soil types, and a greater variety of crops and consider the possible retention of urban farmers using fertilizer from invasive plants.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Japanese knotweed, Fallopia japonica, fermentation, organic fertilizer, urban food production, land management
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 6, art. 1232
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135636
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy11061232
• COBISS.SI-ID: 67720195
• Publication date in RUL: 23.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Agronomy
• Shortened title: Agronomy
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4395
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522953241

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 17.06.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: invazivne rastline, japonski dresnik, Fallopia japonica, urbano kmetijstvo, organska gnojila, gnojenje