Effects of Expeller Cake Fertilizer on Soil Properties and Tah Tasai Chinese Cabbage Yield in Organic Greenhouse Farm

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the application level of expeller cake fertilizer(ECF), we have investigated soil chemical properties, leaf mineral contents and yield of tah tasai Chinese cabbage in a plastic film greenhouse. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five levels of fertilizer were applied as 0%(ECF 0), 50%(ECF 50), 75%(ECF 75), 100% (ECF 100) and 150%(ECF 150) by base 1,848 kg/ha of ECF. In 2012, tah tasai Chinese cabbage was planted on April 28 in a silt loam soil and harvested on July 12. Commercial yields were measured 10 times from May 10 to July 12. Electrical conductivity (2.24~3.09 dS/m), available (484~581 mg/kg) and exchangeable cations(, and ) were tended to increase by the application of ECF. However, the range of those was not significant. The contents of T-N, K, Ca and P of tah tasai Chinese cabbage leaves were 62.2~66.5 g/kg, 44.3~48.7 g/kg, 5.1~5.9 g/kg and 5.6~6.2 g/kg, respectively. The nitrogen utilization rate of tah tasai Chinese cabbage was 39.4~51.6%, and it was decreased with increased application amount of ECF. The yield of tah tasai Chinese cabbage was 9,806 to 12,730 kg/ha on the basis of application amount of ECF and it was not increased in spite of increased ECF. CONCLUSION: The optimum dose of application of ECF for cultivation of tah tasai Chinese cabbage was ranged from 924 kg/ha(as ECF 50) to 1,386 kg/ha(as ECF 75). Environment-friendly and economical amount of applied fertilizer is more important than yield for cultivation of tah tasai Chinese cabbage.