Information from the abstract
ABSTRACT High costs and environmental footprints of conventional agricultural substrates necessitate sustainable alternatives. This study evaluated the potential of bio-based organic growing media derived from filter cake compost and cow manure to optimize the agronomic performance, cannabinoid yield, and nutritional quality of Cannabis sativa L. cv. KKU05 plus across five treatments: T1 (soil:manure 1:1), T2 (peat moss:vermiculite:perlite:manure 1:1:1:1), and T3–T5 (soil:filter cake:manure at 1:2:1, 1:3:1, and 1:4:1). Bio-based media significantly enhanced growth parameters compared to soil control (T1) and performed comparably to commercial substrate (T2). Although T3–T5 showed numerical increases in plant height, stem diameter, cannabidiol (CBD) yield, and grain yield, these differences were not statistically significant among media treatments. T5 achieved a balanced seed omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (3.75:1). Economically, due to current market prices and fixed costs not being deducted, all treatments yielded negative net incomes for commercial seed production under the experimental setup; however, T3–T5 reduced growing media input costs compared to T2. Crucially, safety assessments revealed that initial arsenic (As) concentrations in filter cake treatments (31.70–33.99 mg kg⁻¹) exceeded Thailand’s agricultural soil safety threshold (25 mg kg⁻¹). In contrast, cadmium (Cd) concentrations in florets remained safely below the maximum regulatory threshold for heavy metals in florets (0.3 mg kg⁻¹) across all treatments, confirming their safety for floret utilization. Lower Cd levels in seeds and fibers suggest potential utility in non-food or industrial applications. Overall, while filter cake compost can effectively replace commercial growing media without compromising agronomic yield, CBD, lipid performance, or floret Cd safety, initial substrate arsenic levels and economic viability require substrate prescreening and management before commercial adoption.
Why this record is monitored
This record has an Impact Signal of 85/100 based on recency, source, collaboration, and bibliographic signals. It prioritizes monitoring and is not a judgment of research quality.
Related topics: Plant Growth and Agriculture Techniques · Agricultural Science and Fertilization · Agriculture, Plant Science, Crop Management
Thai researcher and institutional participation
Kiriya Sungthongw · Chanon Lapjit · Khomsorn Lomthaisong · Jakkapat Paluka · Khon Kaen University
Data limitations
This page is a bibliographic record based on abstract-level information, not a full analysis or quality assessment. Verify the DOI and original article before citation.