Use of processed grape pomace and whey bio ferment to improve the agronomic performance of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) in arid soils.

Agro-industrial wastes representing a significant problem can be revalued as biofertilizers. The present paper aims to determine the effect of processed grapevine pomace (PGP) and whey bio-ferment (WB) on radish cultivation under conditions of arid zone soil. A 3x3 factorial arrangement of completely randomized design was used, with three levels of PGP (0, 1.25, and 2.50 g kg-1 soil applied in total dose before planting) and three levels of WB (0, 50, and 100 mL L-1 applied in irrigation water). Radish leaves were evaluated for length and chlorophyll; root dry matter content, length, diameter, weight, and total soluble solids (TSS) were measured; organic matter (OM), N, P, K, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) was determined in the soil. Specific differences in means were determined by the LSD-Fisher method applied after analysis of variance (ANOVA); the significance of differences was defined at P<0.05. The most remarkable result to emerge from the data is that using PGP and WB improved soil attributes and promoted crop development. Specifically, the higher the PGP dose, the greater the benefits; in the case of WB, the dose of 50 mL L-1 showed the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]