Influence of Alternative Organic Fertilizers on the Antioxidant Capacity in Head Cabbage and Cucumber

Abstract

Conventional mineral fertilizer was compared with alternative organic fertilizers for the crop of head cabbage and cucumber. There were seven different treatments: Agormin (an organo-mineral fertilizer), Agro (made from poultry bedding and molasses), conventional farmyard manure, compost, Dvorecky agroferm (dried, aerobically-fermented farmyard manure), mineral fertilizer, and an unfertilized control. All treatments were applied at rates providing approximately the same level of nutrients. The level of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured by FRAP assay immediately after harvest. Average value of TAC in fresh cabbage was 23660 mg GA.100 g-1 in the year 2005 and 29527 mg GA.100 g-1 in the year 2006. Average value of TAC in field cucumber was 12532 mg GA.100 g-1 in the year 2005 and 10460 mg GA.100 g-1 in the year 2006. This study shows that alternative, organic fertilizers have similar or even better positive effects than farmyard manure and that they can contribute to the improvement of the nutritional value of vegetable production.