Multi-Parameter Characterization of Disease-Suppressive Bio-composts from Aromatic Plant Residues Evaluated for Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) Cultivation

Garden cress is a vegetable crop in the Brassicaceae family that appreciated for its nutraceutical and taste-giving components minimally processed food chains. Due to very short cycle, which depends on range of production from microgreens baby-leaf vegetables, this threatened by soil-borne pathologies developing within initial stages germination emergence. This study aims evaluate suppressive bio-compost as an innovative means counteract main telluric diseases garden reduce risks yield loss adopting sustainable remedies decreasing dependence synthetic fungicides. Therefore, eleven green composts obtained using both previously distilled raw aromatic plant residues were analyzed properties against Rhizoctonia solani Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sown cress. The biological active component composts, detected CO2-release, FDA-hydrolysis microbial counts, proved be indispensable pathogen control vitro vivo, demonstrated suppressiveness after sterilization. Cross-polarization magic angle spinning 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (CP-MAS-13C-NMR) was used analyze molecular distribution organic C composts. results indicated suitability feedstock make quality compost. suppression levels shown P1 (40% wood chips, 30% escarole mixture sage, basil, mint parsley) P2 essential oil-free basil rosemary) are promising sustainable, non-chemical vegetables.