CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND YIELD OF SWISS CHARD AS INFLUENCED BY METALLURGICAL SLAG AND FISH FERTILIZER ADDITION TO MARGINAL SOIL.

The paper aimed to present the effects of Ca - containing metallurgical slag (MS) and liquid fish (LF) fertilizer appliance on yield and chemical composition of aerial parts of Swiss chard cultivated on marginal eutric cambisol type of soil. The study was performed in semi-controlled glasshouse conditions, and the effects of MS was compared to those of commercial lime materials - ground limestone and hydrated lime, in combination with and without standard mineral and LF fertilizers. The results of the paper indicate that all Ca-materials studied, including MS, along with the studied fertilizers, showed positive effects on the content of main and beneficial biogenic macroelements in chards biomass and its yield. There is a statistically significant tendency of an increase in the content of P, K and C in tested herb in the treatment with LF fertilizer in relation to other treatments. The concentration of trace metals such as Fe and Cd was within the safety limits and allowed concentrations in all the treatments in spite of significant Fe content in MS, which is a highly desirable outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]