Effect of Compost Application on Qualitative Traits in Cabbage

The use of alternative fertilizers plays nowadays an increasing importance because of increase of price of mineral fertilizers and organic matter decrease in cultivated soils. Veneto Region plays an active role in waste recycling and composting activities that allows to use new organic matter sources in order to improve soil properties. In this study we evaluated the effect of compost use on the agronomic and nutritional qualitative traits of cabbage. The experiment was conducted at the University of Padova considering the following theses: control unfertilized (F0), treatment with mineral fertilizers (FMIN) in which the 100% of the nitrogen requirement was supplied in mineral form, treatment where 50% of the nitrogen requirement was made in mineral form and the remaining demand with compost (F50), 100% of nitrogen requirements necessary for the culture was made from compost (F100) and 200% of demand in nitrogen was supplied through compost (F200). Dry matter content, antioxidant capacity (AOA), total phenols (TP), ascorbic acid (AA), phenolic acids, organic nitrogen and nitrate (NO3) were evaluated as qualitative traits. It was also determined the quantity of Al, Ca, Cu, K, Mg, P, Zn and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb). Results showed that AOA and TP were higher in plants grown with F0 and F200. About AA values the most interesting result was observed in F200 too. The main phenolic acids detected were chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid on which fertilizer treatment did not significantly influenced. However, for both acids, the highest values were measured by plants cultivated with F200. In assessing the content of NO3, plants of the thesis that during the crop cycle were held to a higher proportion of available nitrogen (F50 and FMIN), showed the highest concentrations of nitrogen compounds. Concerning heavy metals Cd, Hg, Pb were below the detectable limit.