Comparison of traditional and improved methods for estimating the stability of organic growing media

Organic growing media employed in hydroponic crops could change their characteristics due to organic matter degradation during culture growing season. Traditional methods for measuring the stability of growing media (Biochemical Stability Index, Lemaire) do not take into account the activity of crop roots, nutrients in the growing media or microorganism presence. Three experiments were performed to determine the stability of six organic substrates. Stability was measured as the percentage of organic matter remaining in substrates. In experiment one (short duration and small scale without plant) 500 ml samples were incubated for 180 days following original methodology proposed by Lemaire (L) and with three modifications: (1) Inoculation with compost (I), (2) watered with nutrient solution (NS), and (3) both combined (I + NS). In experiment two (Long duration, medium scale) 10 l samples were incubated with and without a lolium crop for 720 days in a greenhouse. In experiment 3 stability of each substrate was real measured in 20 l hydroponic bags after use in four cycles of tomato production in a commercial greenhouse (2 years). All incubations were triplicated. Physicochemical properties of substrates were measured. Correlations between stability estimated in experiment one and two and real determinations in experiment three were analyzed. Lemaire methodology modified by adding and inoculum an nutrients (I + NS) was the best method to estimate the stability of organic growing media measured in real conditions in experiment 3. This new method greatly improves the estimation performed with original Lemaire methodology. Long term incubations with lolium also reproduce well the real stability of growing media but this methodology is not feasible because it requires four times longer and the amount of substrate required is 20 times larger for each sample.

► Three experiments were performed to determinate the stability of 6 different organic substrates.
► Experiments were different in terms of duration and scale of samples.
► Physicochemical properties of substrates were measured.
► Correlations between stability values estimated in experiment one and two and real determinations in experiment three were analyzed.
► One method of short duration and small scale was the best method to estimate the stability of organic growing media measured in real conditions.