The potential use of brewers' spent grain-based substrates as horticultural bio-fertilizers

作者：Angela Bianco, Sara Melito, Matteo Garau, Vittoria Giannini, Giacomo Zara, Davide Assandri, Safa Oufensou, Roberta Coronas, Niccolò Pampuro, Marilena Budroni · 发表于：Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fsufs.2024.1404914 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Plant Growth Enhancement Techniques、Composting and Vermicomposting Techniques、Growth and nutrition in plants

Introduction Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is the most important by-product of breweries. Currently, the primary method of recycling BSG is through its use in livestock feed production, due to its high fiber content, non-degradable protein, and water-soluble vitamins. Nonetheless, composting, vermicomposting, and biochar production pathways offer promising alternatives for managing this organic byproduct. Methods BSG-based substrates were evaluated as bio-fertilizers for use during the transplantation of Lactuca sativa L. and without additional fertilization at the end of the crop cycle. Biochar (B), vermicompost (V), compost (CP), and compost enriched with a microbial consortium (CPE), each mixed at 2 and 4% with peat, were compared with two control treatments: 100% peat (C1) and peat with ternary chemical fertilizer (C2). The experiment was designed with six replicates, half of which were inoculated with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum mycelium during transplantation to assess the contribution of different substrates to pathogen resistance. Results Overall, it was found that the control treatment C2 was the most effective, yielding the greatest plant height at the seedbed stage and the best results across all parameters at harvest. The V 4%, CP 4%, and CPE 4% treatments showed similar results without significant differences compared to the control. At the end of the seedbed phase, plants treated with CP 4% and CPE 4% exhibited the most substantial root development, with statistically...