title: Posidonia oceanica (L.) based compost as substrate for potted basil production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peat is the main component of growing media but is also a non-renewable resource; therefore European policy strongly encourages the use of peat alternatives such as compost. Posidonia is a Mediterranean seagrass that produces very conspicuous onshore deposits that can be composted. In this study, a commercial green compost and a Posidonia residue-based compost were tested in order to assess their potential use as substitutes or complements to peat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All macro and micro-element concentrations of the substrates were positively and significantly related to the percentage of composts in the growing media. Plant grown on peat showed higher content of P, Ca, K, Na, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe, and a slightly higher biomass production in comparison to compost-based growing media. In contrast, plants grown on compost-based substrates showed lower uptake of Cd and Cr than peat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that both composts can be used as a complement to the peat for substrate preparation, especially at a rate of 30%. The Posidonia-based compost showed better productive results in comparison to the green one. Basil grown on the two compost-based media showed reduced absorption level of potentially toxic metals in comparison to peat.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari (ISPA), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mininni
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agro-Ambientali e Territoriali, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, degli Alimenti e dell'Ambiente, University of Foggia, 71122, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Andreina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta e degli Alimenti, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cocozza
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari (ISPA), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Suolo, della Pianta e degli Alimenti, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Teodoro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Agro-Ambientali e Territoriali, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santamaria
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D035961:Alismatales / Q000737:chemistry*; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D018649:Ocimum basilicum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D012987:Soil
keywords: Posidonia residue-based compost; basil production; green compost; growing media; heavy metals; peat