Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the effective organisms (EM) and the granulated manure on the chemical
properties of Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica Houtt.) and the possibility of using them as a component of functional
food. The field experiment was carried out in 2015-16 at the Lipnik Experimental Station (53°12'N; 14°27'E), Poland. The
experiment consisted of four objects in four replications: control, effective microorganisms – EM, manure, effective
microorganisms + manure. In the experiment, EmFarma PlusTM was used, which contained a mixture of specially selected
non-genetically modified strains of microorganisms and their metabolites in the fermented mixture of natural ingredients.
The granulated manure contained N – 2.1, P2O5 – 1.6, K2O – 5.9, Ca – 2.0, Mg 0.5 (% DM), organic substances (60% DM),
and humic substances (25% DM). Compared with the control the EM, manure, and EM+manure study groups had
significantly higher amounts of crude fat, by 17.8, 0.8 and 15.7 g.kg-1
, respectively. The EM and EM+manure groups had
significantly higher amounts of crude ash, by 7.4 and 16 g.kg-1
, respectively. The highest phosphorus levels were observed in
the EM group by 0.62 g.kg-1
. The EM and EM+manure groups had significantly higher amounts of potassium, by 3.8 g.kg-1
.
The higher amounts of calcium (by 1.52 g.kg-1
) had the EM+manure group. The EM, manure and EM+manure study groups
had significantly higher amounts of zinc (6.5, 7.2, 17.6 mg.kg-1
, respectively), iron (2.1, 2.0, 14.1 mg.kg-1
, respectively) and
manganese (16.4, 49.6, 16.0 mg.kg-1
, respectively). The highest molybdenum levels were found in the group fertilized EM
and manure, 4.5 and 5.5 mg.kg-1
, respectively. Due to the high nutrient content, leaves of Japanese knotweed can be used as
an alternative source of components in the production of functional foods and pharmaceutical preparations.
