Establishment of Calibration Curves for Comparing Pour-through and Saturated Media Extract Nutrient Values

Abstract

Most commercial and university substrate testing laboratories' recommended floriculture nutritional values are based on the saturated media extract (SME) method. With the recent gain in popularity of pour-through nutritional monitoring, alternative recommended values are needed for nutrient analyses based on pour-through extracts. Pour-through nutritional values were compared to the SME values to develop calibration curves and recommended nutritional values. Euphorbia pulcherrima `Freedom Red' Willd. ex Klotzch. were grown for two consecutive growing seasons in 16.5 cm plastic pots with Fafard 4 P root substrate and fertigated with 200, 300, or 400 mg·L-1 N from a 13N-0.88P-10.8K fertilizer. Linear relationships existed and inverse calibration curves for pour-through and SME comparisons were developed for (r2): EC (0.98), NO3- (0.98), P (0.97 to 0.99), K (0.99), Ca (0.94 to 0.97), and Mg (0.91). In addition, recommended pour-through substrate value ranges were developed for comparison with SME values. The established calibration curves and pour-through substrate value ranges will allow substrate-testing laboratories to make nutritional recommendations based on pour-through extractions.