Use of Nutrient Anchored Polystyrene Substrate Soil Less Material for Growth of Crops

Abstract

Loss of available land for plant growth has made other options that allow an efficient use of water and fertilizers which increase crop quality and productivity. Some systems such as hydroponics need a constant air and fluid circulation as well as nutrient refill that put strain on the cost of production. Without such a system, many growers dump the nutrient solutions at short intervals which affect the environment negatively. Due to such shortcoming, there is a need therefore to come up with a method that will address such challenges. This study reports on the growth of some selected plants on nutrient anchored modified polystyrene material. The material was characterized using FTIR, NMR, FAAS and XPS. Nutrient release parameters were investigated by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Available spaces between the solid particles provided a sufficient supply of air to the plant roots. Mineral release increased with decrease in pH up to a value of 4.0 at which 90% of the nutrient was available for plant uptake. The anchoring of minerals was by complexation whose stability constant was found to be 1.99×1014. This implies that the non biodegradable material has a potential application as a fertilizer and media for plants growth.