Understanding and optimising the biological properties of growing media for soilless cultivation

2021 ◽  
pp. 171-210
Author(s):  
Francesco Giuffrida ◽  
Rosario Paolo Mauro ◽  
Patrizia Zaccheo
Keyword(s):  
Biological Properties ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Soilless Cultivation

Understanding and optimising the biological properties of growing media for soilless cultivation

2021 ◽  
pp. 171-210
Author(s):  
Francesco Giuffrida ◽  
◽  
Rosario Paolo Mauro ◽  
Patrizia Zaccheo ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Plant Nutrition ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Soilless Cultivation ◽  
The Relationship

The biological properties of growing media (GM) in soilless cultivation have been considered minor traits for decades. However, there is a growing demand for alternative, cheaper GM constituents, characterized by organic origin. A better understanding of the biological processes of GM is a key factor in developing improved functional properties in the next generation of “living” GM. This chapter reviews current knowledge about the biological properties of GM for soilless cultivations, paying attention on their importance for plant nutrition, and the influence exerted by weeds, pests/pathogens and beneficial microorganisms to promote crop performance and improve the ability of GM to suppress pests and diseases. More understanding of the relationship between GM, microbial communities and plants increases opportunities to develop sustainable strategies for disease control, fertilization efficiency and horticulture performance.

The Effect of Different Growing Media on Physical Morphology of Rockmelon (Cucumis Melo Linn cv. Glamour) Seedling

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nasrul Hazzeem Ab Rauf ◽  
Shafeeqa Shahruddin
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Rice Husk ◽  
Cucumis Melo ◽  
Black Soil ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Number Of Leaves ◽  
Soilless Cultivation ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Cucumis Melo L ◽  
Cucurbitaceae Family

Rockmelon (Cucumis melo L.) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which can adapt to various soil and climate areas, especially in Malaysia. The production of rockmelon in Malaysia has highly declined, and for this reason, farmers have opted to use the concept of soilless cultivation due to it benefits accrued from soilless media such as cocopeat, perlite, and burnt rice husk. The study was carried out to determine the effect of different growing media on the physical morphology of rockmelon seedlings. This experiment was set up using RCBD arrangements with four replications. Different growing media used were: (i) 100% Black Soil (BS), (ii) 75% cocopeat + 15% burnt rice husk + 10% perlite (M1) and (iii) 75% cocopeat + 20% burnt rice husk + 5% perlite (M2). The parameters measured were plant height, number of leaves and total leaves area, and stem girth. The data were collected within two weeks after transplanting. The parameters measured were subjected to ANOVA and LSD was applied to compare means. In this study, rockmelon seedlings treated on BS showed significantly (P<0.001) the highest plant height, number of leaves per plant, and total leaves area and stem girth. Seedlings on soilless M1, however, grew in slightly good conditions, as it showed the insignificantly higher values on morphological parameters measured. Thus, BS is still suitable for better use of media for 15 days old rockmelon seedlings (after transplanting). It gives the optimum conditions for adapting seedlings to the new exposure environment.

scholarly journals New Horticulture Curriculum on Growing Media and Soil Amendment Available

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 433A-433
Author(s):  
G.O. Hood
Keyword(s):  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Soil Amendments ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Peat Moss ◽  
Growth Media ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Teaching Plan

Horticultural schools are always looking for fresh material for their classes. The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) has developed a lesson plan entitled Growing Media and Soil Amendment that is ideal for horticultural or greenhouse management courses. The teaching plan includes terms and definitions on all types of peatmoss and commonly used terms related to the resource. It discusses characteristics and qualities of world peat resources as well as comparisons of physical, chemical, and biological properties of organic materials used in growth media and as soil amendments. In addition to the research information on peat and other soil amendments, the teaching plan addresses the environmental issues surrounding the use of wetlands, including peatlands and the effects of peat harvesting on the environment. The plan introduces students and instructors to the reclamation and restoration efforts that have been developed and used to preserve the harvested bogs in Canada. The curriculum is divided into two sections: one for the students, which includes handouts and one for the instructor, with more in-depth background information.

scholarly journals Biochar for Circular Horticulture: Feedstock Related Effects in Soilless Cultivation

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 629
Author(s):  
Fien Amery ◽  
Jane Debode ◽  
Sarah Ommeslag ◽  
Rian Visser ◽  
Caroline De Tender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽  
Chlorophyll Concentration ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Disease Suppression ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Greenhouse Trial ◽  
Leaching Experiment ◽  
Soilless Cultivation

Biochar has previously been used in growing media blends as fertilizer or for improving plant growth, disease suppression, and as a sustainable replacement of peat. To achieve optimal circular horticulture, we propose here to reuse the biochar from spent growing media. However, it is unclear to what extent the biochar feedstock determines the mode of action of the biochar and if use of spent growing media biochar may encounter nutrient or salt problems. Differences in chemical characteristics, nutrient release, and interaction in a leaching experiment and effects on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and disease suppression in a strawberry greenhouse trial were studied for 11 biochars either processed from spent growing media or from lignocellulosic biomass. A well-studied biochar produced from oak wood was set as reference. Biochars produced from spent growing media were characterized by higher electrical conductivity, extractable and total nutrient concentrations compared with biochars produced from lignocellulosic biomass. Especially in the first phase of the leaching experiment, all biochars showed nutrient and salt release, with most prominent effects for spent growing media biochars and the reference biochar. The latter biochars were an important source of phosphorus and in particular of potassium. Only for the reference biochar, strawberry plants showed increased uptake of phosphorus, potassium and calcium, and increased chlorophyll concentration. No Bortrytis cinerea disease suppression and no increase in plant growth was observed for the tested biochars. It is concluded that spent growing media can be recycled as biochar in growing media without adverse effects compared to biochars produced from lignocellulosic biomass.

Understanding and optimising the chemical properties of growing media for soilless cultivation

2021 ◽  
pp. 139-170
Author(s):  
Patrizia Zaccheo ◽  
◽  
Laura Crippa ◽  
Francesco Giuffrida ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Cation Exchange Capacity ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Soilless Cultivation ◽  
Toxic Ions

Chemical properties exert a considerable influence on the behavior of growing media, particularly in regulating the composition of the nutrient solution. This effect depends on the nature of components: mineral growing media are chemically inert and weakly affect the nutrient solution only in the first days of cultivation. Organic growing media constantly release and immobilize elements, playing a key role in controlling plant availability of nutrient and toxic ions. The most important chemical characteristics of growing media are cation exchange capacity (CEC), salinity, and acidity. These can be changed using amendments. The chapter examines these chemical properties of growing media and growing media components, describes how they can influence soilless cultivation and analyzes latest trends in their management. Finally, a case study on the modification of pH, salinity and nutrient content during storage of two growing media is reported.

Understanding and optimizing the physical properties of growing media for soilless cultivation

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-138
Author(s):  
Jean Caron ◽  
◽  
Jean-Charles Michel ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Time Response ◽  
Soil Physics ◽  
Growing Media ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Soilless Cultivation

From the end of the last century and the beginning of this millennium, the design and use of growing media have rapidly evolved to respond to new needs and constraints. Additional concepts in soil physics have been developed to cope with these changes. The beginning of this millennium has also witnessed increasing use of automation and the development of real-time sensors and computer models that could benefit the overall field of growing media. With such real-time response system capabilities, there is a clear need to introduce dynamic concepts about gas and water movement in growing media to optimize productivity and limit environmental impacts. This chapter emphasizes the latest development around some of the critical physical concepts and the factors affecting them. It presents a case study illustrating their use in growing media design based on future development in this field.

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