title: Formulation of a liquid fertilizer for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) using vermicompost leachate.
abstract: Leachate from vermicomposting contains large amounts of plant nutrients and can be used as liquid fertilizer, but normally diluted to avoid plant damage. The amount of nutrients applied is thus reduced so that an additional fertilizer is required. We investigated how dilution of vermicompost leachate combined with different concentrations of NPK triple 17 fertilizer, and polyoxyethylene tridecyl alcohol as dispersant and polyethylene nonylphenol as adherent to increase efficiency of fertilizer uptake, affected sorghum plant development. The vermicomposting leachate with pH 7.8 and electrolytic conductivity 2.6 dS m(-1), contained 834 mg K(+) l(-1), 247 mg NO(3)(-)l(-1) and 168 mg PO(4)(3-) l(-1), was free of pathogens and resulted in a 65 % germination index. Vermicompost leachate can be used as liquid fertilizer for the cultivation of sorghum without dilution and mixed with 140-170 g l(-1) of NPK triple 17 fertilizer and 2-3 ml(-1) of dispersant and 0-1 ml l(-1) adherent. It was found that vermicompost leachate stimulated plant development, but fertilization with NPK was required for maximum growth.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Instituto Tecnológico de Tuxtla-Gutiérrez, Carr. Panamericana km. 1080, CP 29050, Tuxtla-Gutiérrez, México. biotecveg@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Federico Antonio
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Miceli
authors.forename: Roberto Carlos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: García-Gómez
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rincón Rosales
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abud-Archila
authors.forename: Oliva Llaven
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: María Angela
authors.forename: Marcos Joaquín Guillen
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dendooven
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil; D045868:Sorghum / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil