Effect of Human Urine Fertilization and Foliar Spray with Spirulina Platensis Extract On Growth, Yield and Quality of Lettuce Plants in Pots

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Horti.Dept., Fac., Benha Univ. , Moshtohor, Egypt.

2 Soils and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Egypt.

Abstract

Two pot experiments were carried out during the two successive winter seasons of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 at the Agricultural Research Center, Giza Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of use of un-traditional nitrogen sources such as human urine and spraying with some growth stimulants such as Spirulina Platensis foliar extract to improve the vegetative growth, yield and its components as well as chemical composition traits of lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa, L.). This experiment included 15 treatments which were the combination of five human urine fertilization treatments and three foliar spray treatments by Spirulina Platensis extract. Human urine fertilization treatments were added beside plants six times during the growing season, the first dose after 21 days from transplanting and the second dose after 10 days from the first dose, then every 10 days by intervals. The foliar spray by Spirulina Platensis extract treatments were added four times during the growing season, the first dose after 21 days from transplanting and every 15 days by intervals. A split plot design with four replicates was adopted in this experiment where the mineral fertilizer and human urine treatments were located in the main plots and the foliar spray by Spirulina Platensis treatments were distributed randomly in the sub plots. The obtained results showed that lettuce plants were treated with 3.3 g ammonium nitrate plus (0.3 ml of human was diluted with 600 ml of water) per pot (50% menral nitrogen + 50% human urine-N); added in six times during the growing season, the first dose after 21 days from transplanting and the second dose after 10 days from the first dose, then every 10 days by intervals combined with spraying the plants with Spirulina Platensis foliar extract at concentration 2 cm3/ 1 liter of water four times, starting after 21 days from transplanting and every 15 days by intervals was recommended to obtain good vegetative growth, higher yield and its components traits as well as good chemical composition traits with best quality.

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