Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences

First Advisor

Engil Pereira

Second Advisor

Chu-Lin Cheng

Third Advisor

James Kang

Abstract

Aloe vera (L.) (Aloe) Burm. f., is valued for its applications across the cosmetic, medicinal, and food industries due to its leaf gel. In the aloe industry, the extraction of gel from leaves generates significant quantities of organic waste, which presents an opportunity to repurpose this material as an amendment in aloe cultivation. While Aloe is renowned for its resilience, understanding the feasibility of using these organic shavings as a soil fertility amendment in aloe production is critical. This research aims to identify sustainable fertilization methods for Aloe that can maintain and/or improve crop yield while enhancing soil health. This study evaluates the effects of Control, Aloe Shavings, and Organic Compost on Aloe growth and soil health in a field trial with three treatments and four replicates in San Benito, Texas. The study revealed significant seasonal effects on Aloe growth and soil health (p < 0.0001). Aloe Shavings outperformed Control and Organic Compost in tallest leaf length and number of leaves. Strong correlations were observed between inorganic nitrogen and leaf growth, as well as pH and leaf number. The results offer insight into integrating shavings as a fertilization input in Aloe cultivation that can have many benefits for the LRGV.

Comments

Copyright 2024 Isaiah Edward Jaramillo. https://proquest.com/docview/3153361793

Download

Share

COinS