Articles
CONTAINER NURSERY STOCK RESPONSE TO RECIRCULATED NUTRIENTS
Article number
630_27
Pages
219 – 224
Language
English
Abstract
Recirculating nutrient runoff saves considerable water and fertilizer but there is little information on container nursery stock response under this regime.
Liners of slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis Sieb. & Zucc.), silverleaf dogwood (Cornus alba L. Argenteo-marginata), Anthony Waterer spirea (Spiraea x bumalda Burvénich Anthony Waterer) and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake) were grown for one season in 6-L containers filled with pine bark and municipal waste compost (1:1 v/v). One-year-old Emerald Gaiety euonymus (Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Mazz. Emerald Gaiety) and savin juniper (Juniperus sabina L.) grown the previous season under similar conditions were also included.
Plants were fertigated via a computer-controlled multifertilizer injector, with or without nutrient recirculation, programmed to deliver (mg L-1): NO3-N, 100; NH4-N, 13; P, 28; K, 120; Ca, 92; Mg, 13; SO4, 73; Zn, 0.23; Mn, 0.27; Cu, 0.05; Fe, 1.4; B, 0.22; and Mo, 0.05. For comparison, Nutryon (Hydro Agri Canada, Elmira, ON) 17-5-12 (17N-2P-10K) plus Mg, S and micronutrients controlled release fertilizer (nutrients non-recirculated) was incorporated into the growing substrate (6.5 kg m-3, liners) or top dressed (39 g/container, one-year-old). Top dry weight of dogwood, deutzia, juniper and spirea was unaffected by fertilizer treatment, while euonymus and snowberry grew more when supplied with recirculated and/or non-recirculated nutrients than with controlled release fertilizer.
The growing substrate electrical conductivity (EC) and pH (2:1 v/v water:substrate extracts), measured for all species on three dates, tended to be similar with and without nutrient recirculation.
With controlled release fertilizer, the substrate EC was higher and the pH lower.
Liners of slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis Sieb. & Zucc.), silverleaf dogwood (Cornus alba L. Argenteo-marginata), Anthony Waterer spirea (Spiraea x bumalda Burvénich Anthony Waterer) and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake) were grown for one season in 6-L containers filled with pine bark and municipal waste compost (1:1 v/v). One-year-old Emerald Gaiety euonymus (Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.-Mazz. Emerald Gaiety) and savin juniper (Juniperus sabina L.) grown the previous season under similar conditions were also included.
Plants were fertigated via a computer-controlled multifertilizer injector, with or without nutrient recirculation, programmed to deliver (mg L-1): NO3-N, 100; NH4-N, 13; P, 28; K, 120; Ca, 92; Mg, 13; SO4, 73; Zn, 0.23; Mn, 0.27; Cu, 0.05; Fe, 1.4; B, 0.22; and Mo, 0.05. For comparison, Nutryon (Hydro Agri Canada, Elmira, ON) 17-5-12 (17N-2P-10K) plus Mg, S and micronutrients controlled release fertilizer (nutrients non-recirculated) was incorporated into the growing substrate (6.5 kg m-3, liners) or top dressed (39 g/container, one-year-old). Top dry weight of dogwood, deutzia, juniper and spirea was unaffected by fertilizer treatment, while euonymus and snowberry grew more when supplied with recirculated and/or non-recirculated nutrients than with controlled release fertilizer.
The growing substrate electrical conductivity (EC) and pH (2:1 v/v water:substrate extracts), measured for all species on three dates, tended to be similar with and without nutrient recirculation.
With controlled release fertilizer, the substrate EC was higher and the pH lower.
Publication
Authors
J. Gils, C. Chong, G. Lumis
Keywords
woody ornamentals, computerized injector
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