Effects of compost on onion quality, yield, and thrips infestation

Showler, Allan T.

doi:10.1186/s40068-022-00268-2

Table 2 Mean (± SE) concentrations of organic matter selected plant macronutrients in onion soil amended with conventional fertilizer, compost, and compost + conventional fertilizer during two growing seasons, Hidalgo County, Texas, 2009–2011 (n = 6 replications)

From: Effects of compost on onion quality, yield, and thrips infestation

Treatment	Date^a	% OM^b	N (ppm)^cc	P (ppm)	K (ppm)	Ca (ppm)	Mg (ppm)	S (ppm)
Control	Oct 2009	0.6 ± 0.4^b	3 ± 0b	107 ± 14^b	353 ± 4^b	2,587 ± 122	284 ± 6	11 ± 2^b
Fertilizer		0.7 ± 0^b	10 ± 2^a	98 ± 12b	344 ± 16b	2,370 ± 319	273 ± 21	25 ± 2^a
Compost		0.9 ± 0.1^a	16 ± 2^a	253 ± 28^a	454 ± 13^a	2,344 ± 100	288 ± 6	21 ± 1^a
C + F^d		1.0 ± 0.1^a	12 ± 2^a	291 ± 51^a	392 ± 24^b	2,305 ± 150	280 ± 12	24 ± 2^a
F^e		28.69	10.48	11.15	13.10	0.46	0.25	20.02
P		< 0.0001	0.0005	0.0004	0.0002	0.7145	0.8619	< 0.0001
Control	Mar 2010	0.6 ± 0.1^b	3 ± 0^c	115 ± 13^b	355 ± 4c	2,496 ± 100	286 ± 5b	11 ± 1^b
Fertilizer		0.7 ± 0.1^b	13 ± 6b	118 ± 20^b	386 ± 13^c	2,586 ± 261	309 ± 12^a^b	15 ± 2^b
Compost		1.1 ± 0.1^a	4 ± 1c	370 ± 38^a	504 ± 18^a	2.836 ± 137	342 ± 10^a	18 ± 2^ab
C + F^d		1.1 ± 0.1^a	27 ± 9^a	424 ± 16^a	443 ± 16^b	2,907 ± 186	333 ± 19^a^b	36 ± 5^a
F^e		20.50	4.90	22.3	23.07	1.38	3.93	5.76
P		< 0.0001	0.0143	< 0.0001	< 0.0001	0.2864	0.0297	0.0080
Control	Nov 2010	0.7 ± 0.1^b	28 ± 4	96 ± 17^b	336 ± 10^a^b	2,505 ± 166^a	270 ± 9ab	44 ± 8
Fertilizer		0.6 ± 0.1^b	25 ± 4	133 ± 9^b	320 ± 11^b	1,929 ± 167^b	264 ± 9b	40 ± 8
Compost		1.0 ± 0.1^a	34 ± 8	314 ± 22^a	390 ± 19^a	2,548 ± 162^a	300 ± 12^a	26 ± 3
C + F^d		0.9 ± 0.1^a	26 ± 6	348 ± 13^a	366 ± 14^a^b	2,283 ± 136^a^b	294 ± 8a^b	27 ± 3
F^e		15.71	0.92	82.46	5.50	4.10	4.06	2.97
P		< 0.0001	0.4537	< 0.0001	0.0095	0.0268	0.0268	0.0652
Control	Mar 2011	0.5 ± 0.1^b	1 ± 1^b	105 ± 17^c	390 ± 14	2,874 ± 221	323 ± 11	78 ± 10
Fertilizer		0.5 ± 0.1^b	25 ± 7^a	163 ± 9^c	391 ± 16	2,173 ± 160	318 ± 10	99 ± 24
Compost		0.7 ± 0.1^a	2 ± 1^b	316 ± 21^b	443 ± 24	2,631 ± 131	340 ± 13	67 ± 14
C + F^d		0.8 ± 0.1^a	19 ± 3^a	409 ± 40^a	410 ± 18	2,666 ± 188	334 ± 16	68 ± 12
F^e		9.28	8.55	59.89	2.29	2.29	0.72	3.16
P		0.0010	< 0.0001	< 0.0001	0.1197	0.1197	0.5555	0.0558

Means in the same column and within the same sampling date followed by different letters are different (P > 0.05, Tukey’s HSD)
^a27 Oct 2009, 10 Mar and 30 Nov 2010, and 15 Mar 2011
^b OM, organic matter
^cNitrates
^dC + F, compost + fertilizer
^edf = 3, 23

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