Research articles
ScienceAsia 48 (2022):ID 294-301 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2022.038
Converting invasive aster (Ageratina adenophora L.) into
organic fertilizer source
Hai Liua,b, Yushu Wangc, Qing Zhaoa,*
ABSTRACT: Ageratina adenophora originated from Central America and is now flooding in tropical and subtropical
countries where tobacco is the primary cash crop. A. adenophora is a noxious invasive plant affecting agriculture,
forestry, and livestock production. After converting A. adenophora into an organic fertilizer source, the contents of
nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in A. adenophora and soil samples (rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere
soil) collected from 42 typical A. adenophora communities were determined. In-situ composting (using cellulolytic
decomposing bacteria Clostridium thermocellum and detoxifying bacteria Pseudomonas putida) and field experiment
were conducted to compare the fertilizing effects with commercial organic fertilizer. The results showed that firstly,
the nutrient contents of N, P, and K varied greatly with growth conditions (N 4.59?15.09 g/kg, P 0.71?5.46 g/kg, and
K 7.44?17.65 g/kg). Secondly, NPK nutrients were mainly allocated in the shoots, and the NPK concentrations were
comparable to those in shoot parts of rice, maize, and wheat. Depending on growth environments and soil properties,
the more fertile soils, the more NPK nutrient contents accumulated. Lastly, applying decomposed A. adenophora gained
high-medium tobacco proportion of 89.1% relative to that applied with commercial organic fertilizer (88.6%) (p >
0.05). Applying the decomposed A. adenophora on the experimental field could generate a slightly higher income
than using commercial organic fertilizer. Therefore, A. adenophora is supposed to be NPK-rich organic fertilizer source,
and the fertilizing effects were comparable to commercial organic fertilizer for promoting flue-cured tobacco yield and
quality.
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| a |
College of Business Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025 China |
| b |
College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716 China |
| c |
Chongqing Academy of Forestry, Chongqing 400036 China |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: jonysweet@126.com
Received 29 Mar 2021, Accepted 1 Dec 2021
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