Physical Properties and Crop Performance of Four Substrate Fibers in Greenhouse Petunia Production

Author:

Thiessen Maureen E.1,Fields Jeb S.1ORCID,Abdi Damon E.1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Hammond Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Hammond, LA 70403, USA

Abstract

As peat (P) demand increases throughout the horticultural industry, alternative fibers must be evaluated. Sugarcane bagasse (B), wood fiber (W), and coconut coir (C) have received interest as domestically available alternatives to P, with demonstrated success in producing greenhouse crops. However, there is limited research comparing these materials to peat. This research evaluated the substrate properties and productivity of Petunia Supertunia Mini Vista ‘Indigo’ in pine bark substrates amended with C, W, B, or P and fertigated weekly at 100, 200, or 300 parts per million (ppm) nitrogen (N) to account for possible N immobilization. The container capacity was lowest and air-filled porosity was highest in W and B substrates. Substrate pH increased in W and B substrates, and C substrates were fertigated at 100 ppm N. Increasing the N rate increased the growth index in all substrates, especially B and W substrates later in the production period. Higher fertilization increased shoot mass, chlorophyll content, and blooms across all substrates, demonstrating that fertilizer supplementation may offset possible N immobilization. While plant growth and quality parameters were greatest in the P blend, increasing N applications produced similar-quality plants using alternative substrates, demonstrating that modifying fertilizer management practices can make alternative fibers a viable horticultural substrate.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Reference47 articles.

1. Fields, J., Owen, J., Lamm, A., Altland, J., Jackson, B., Zheng, Y., Oki, L., Fontenot, K., Samtani, J., and Campbell, B. (2021, January 22–27). Soilless substrate science: A North American needs assessment to steer soilless substrate research into the future. Proceedings of the II International Symposium on Growing Media, Soilless Cultivation, and Compost Utilization in Horticulture, Ghent, Belgium.

2. Jackson, B.E., Fields, J., Owen, J., and Altland, J. (2023, November 29). Soilless Substrate Science for Current and Future Growers. Grower Talks. Available online: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=25658.

3. Raviv, M., and Lieth, J.H. (2008). Soilless Culture: Theory and Practice, Academic Press.

4. The Role of Peat in Assuring the Quality of Growing Media;Schmilewski;Mires Peat,2008

5. (2024, February 01). Peat for Horticulture. International Peatland Society. Available online: https://peatlands.org/peat/peat-for-horticulture/.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3