Organic Greenhouse Container Herb Production in South Florida: Fertilizer and Potting Media

Field production of organic crops, including herbs, in south Florida is a challenging task due to the subtropical climate and high number of pest and disease pressures. Thus, greenhouse production of organic herbs may provide an alernate to field production. However, there is little published information on selecting media and fertilizers for organic herb production in greenhouses in this climate. Greenhouse trials were conducted during the 2005 and 2006 growing season at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead, Florida. The objectives of the project were to 1) compare several commercially available organic fertilizers for organic greenhouse production of container herbs and 2) compare two commercially available potting media for organic greenhouse production of container herbs. The two potting media (Fafard and Agro-Soils) did not result in significant differences in measured plant mass production, plant tissue nutrients, or leachate chemistry. However, some differences in plant production for basil and dill were identified among the different fertilizer treatments (Natural Safe, Perdue, Fertrell, and Control). These differ- ences were most notable for visual quality, fresh weight, and dry weight measurements. Evaluation of these parameters for basil and dill suggested that the two best fertilizers were Perdue and Fertrell. However, the differences in cost of each fertilizer and the study results suggest that Perdue is a more economic choice for organic herb production of basil and dill.

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Response of Entres Age and Clone to Growth of Rubber Seedling (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg)

AgroTech Journal ◽

10.31327/atj.v5i2.1392 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 94-101

Author(s):

Railia Karneta ◽

M. Manisah

Keyword(s):

Hevea Brasiliensis ◽

Block Design ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Plant Production ◽

Production Plant ◽

Short Time Period ◽

Rubber Plant ◽

Time Period ◽

Study Results ◽

Short Time

Effort to increase rubber plant production should be done, especially rejuvenation for old rubber plant which in turn require high numbers of seedling within short time period. One of the method to provide rubber plant seedlings within short time period is through grafting technique which combine plant having strong rootas base stem and high production plant as upper stem (entres). The objective of this research was to study response of entres age and clone to growth of rubber seedling (Hevea brasiliensis Muell, Arg.) produced from green and brown grafting. This study was conducted from February 2019 to Februari 2020. This study used Factorial Randomized Block Design with entres age as the first factor consisting of 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months as well as clone as the second factor consisting of PB 260 and BPM 24. Data was analyzed by using analysis of variance and followed bywith Honestly Significant Different (HSD) test and regression analysis. The study results showed that the best treatment was entres having 9 months of age as indicated by grafting success, the speed of stum out, stumlength, stumdry weight, root length androot dry weight which had the highest values than that of other treatments. Clone of PB 260 was the best entres that was very compatible with base stem of GT1 clone than that of BPM 24 clone because it gave the highest yield in term of all observed parametes. The interaction between 9 month entres age and PB 260 clone was the best treatment

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Organic Greenhouse Container Herb Production in South Florida: Fertilizer and Potting Media

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-ae408-2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2007 (16) ◽

Author(s):

Kati W. Migliaccio ◽

Teresa Olczyk ◽

Yun Qian ◽

Yuncong Li ◽

George J. Hochmuth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Florida ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Biological Engineering ◽

Greenhouse Production ◽

Potting Media

ABE-373, a 6-page report by K. W. Migliaccio, T. Olczyk, Y. Qian, Y. Li, G. J. Hochmuth, R. C. Hochmuth, D. D. Treadwell, E. H. Simonne, L. S. Osborne, and R. K. Sprenkel, presents the results of trials conducted in 2005 and 2006 to compare organic fertilizers and potting media for greenhouse production of container herbs. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, May 2007. ABE 373/AE408: Organic Greenhouse Container Herb Production in South Florida: Fertilizer and Potting Media (ufl.edu)

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Use of De-inked Paper Sludge in Potting Mixes for Geranium and Zinnia Production

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.464e ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 464e-465

Author(s):

Robert R. Tripepi ◽

Charlyn A. Koehn

Keyword(s):

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Plant Production ◽

Paper Sludge ◽

Shoot Dry Weight ◽

Bedding Plant ◽

Potting Media ◽

The Media ◽

Average Plant

De-inked paper sludge from newsprint recycling was evaluated as an alternative amendment in bedding plant production. `Sweet Dreams' geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum) and `Crystal White' zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) were grown in square 10-cm pots in one of five media. Media contained 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% de-inked paper sludge by volume. All mixes contained 10% perlite, and peatmoss was used to bring the volume to 100%. Initial chemical and physical characteristics of the media were determined. Plants were grown in a greenhouse for 8 weeks, and then plant height, shoot dry weight, and average plant width were determined. Media containing 20% or less paper sludge had an average pH of 4.4, whereas those containing more sludge had an average pH of 7.0. Cation exchange capacity of the media decreased significantly as the volume of sludge increased. Media containing 60% or more paper sludge were better aerated, but held less water than those made with 40% or less de-inked sludge. Geraniums grown in 20% or less paper sludge were at least 18% taller than those grown in medium containing 40% or more de-inked sludge, but average dry weights and plant widths of these plants were unaffected by the media. Zinnia plants grown in 20% or less paper sludge produced four times more shoot dry weight and were at least 34% taller and 20% wider than those grown in 40% or more sludge. Overall, zinnias grown in 40% or more sludge were unacceptable for commercial sale. A volume of 20% de-inked paper sludge could safely be included in potting media used for production of `Sweet Dreams' geranium and `Crystal White' zinnia.

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Modeling Energy LED Light Consumption Based on an Artificial Intelligent Method Applied to Closed Plant Production System

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11062735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 2735

Author(s):

Ernesto Olvera-Gonzalez ◽

Martín Montes Rivera ◽

Nivia Escalante-Garcia ◽

Eduardo Flores-Gallegos

Keyword(s):

Energy Consumption ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Nonlinear Models ◽

Light Emitting Diode ◽

Red Light ◽

Green Light ◽

Plant Production ◽

Production Plant ◽

Light Component ◽

Gp Model

Artificial lighting is a key factor in Closed Production Plant Systems (CPPS). A significant light-emitting diode (LED) technology attribute is the emission of different wavelengths, called light recipes. Light recipes are typically configured in continuous mode, but can also be configured in pulsed mode to save energy. We propose two nonlinear models, i.e., genetic programing (GP) and feedforward artificial neural networks (FNNs) to predict energy consumption in CPPS. The generated models use the following input variables: intensity, red light component, blue light component, green light component, and white light component; and the following operation modes: continuous and pulsed light including pulsed frequency, and duty cycle as well energy consumption as output. A Spearman's correlation was applied to generate a model with only representative inputs. Two datasets were applied. The first (Test 1), with 5700 samples with similar input ranges, was used to train and evaluate, while the second (Test 2), included 160 total datapoints in different input ranges. The metrics that allowed a quantitative evaluation of the model's performance were MAPE, MSE, MAE, and SEE. Our implemented models achieved an accuracy of 96.1% for the GP model and 98.99% for the FNNs model. The models used in this proposal can be applied or programmed as part of the monitoring system for CPPS which prioritize energy efficiency. The nonlinear models provide a further analysis for energy savings due to the light recipe and operation light mode, i.e., pulsed and continuous on artificial LED lighting systems.

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Reducing Substrate Moisture Content during Greenhouse Production of Poinsettia Improves Postproduction Quality and Economic Value

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci13484-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (11) ◽

pp. 1618-1628

Author(s):

Yanjun Guo ◽

Terri Starman ◽

Charles Hall

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Economic Value ◽

Growth Index ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Leaf Number ◽

Stem Length ◽

Total Production ◽

Greenhouse Production ◽

Ethylene Concentration ◽

Substrate Moisture

The objective was to determine the effect of substrate moisture content (SMC) during poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) greenhouse production on plant quality, postproduction longevity, and economic value. Two experiments were conducted, one in 2016 with ‘Freedom Red’ and the other in 2017 with ‘Christmas Eve Red’. Treatments included two SMC levels (20% or 40%) applied in four timing of application combinations. Total production (TP) time was 14 (2016) or 12 (2017) weeks in which vegetative production (VP) occurred from week 33 (2016) or 35 (2017) to week 39 and reproductive production (RP) continued from week 40 to 47. The four timing of application treatments were 40/40 = TP at 40% SMC; 20/40 = VP at 20% + RP at 40%; 40/20 = VP at 40% + RP at 20%; 20/20 = TP at 20% SMC. After simulated shipping in the dark, plants were evaluated in a simulated retail environment with two packaging treatments: no sleeve covering or plastic perforated plant sleeves covering container and plant. At the end of greenhouse production, plants grown in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 and 40/20) had shorter bract internode length, stem length, and smaller growth index (GI), decreased shoot and root dry weight (DW), and bract and leaf surface area compared with those in 40% SMC during RP (40/40 and 20/40). Photosynthetic rate was higher when plants were watered at 40% SMC regardless of production stage compared with those in 20% SMC. Leaf thickness, petiole thickness, total bract and leaf number were unaffected by SMC treatments. Plants in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 or 40/20) had earlier bract coloring despite days to anthesis being the same for all SMC treatments. Compared with 40/40, 40/20, and 20/20 could save 44.2% or 43.6%, respectively, irrigation and fertilizer usage, and 39.1% and 47.8%, respectively, labor time. During postharvest, ethylene concentration was unaffected by packaging method. Sleeved plants, regardless of SMC treatment, received lower light intensity in the middle of the plant canopy, causing plants to have lower total leaf number due to abscission and SPAD reading at the end of postproduction. The 40/40 treatment abscised more bracts during five weeks (in 2016) of postproduction and with no sleeve had higher number of bracts with bract edge burn (BEB). In summary, reducing SMC to 20% during TP or RP reduced water usage during production and produced more compact plants with increased postproduction quality.

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Respons Pertumbuhan Bibit Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) terhadap Pemberian Pupuk Organik Asal Pelepah Kelapa Sawit dan Pupuk Majemuk NPK

Agrikultura ◽

10.24198/agrikultura.v28i2.14955 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Mira Ariyanti ◽

Gita Natali ◽

Cucu Suherman

Keyword(s):

Oil Palm ◽

Elaeis Guineensis ◽

Block Design ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Compound Fertilizer ◽

Elaeis Guineensis Jacq ◽

Four Levels ◽

Palm Fronds

ABSTRACTThe growth response of oil palm (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) seedling toward the application of organic fertilizer from palm fronds and NPK compound fertilizerThe research was aimed to study the influence between organic fertilizers from palm fronds and NPK compound fertilizer to reduce NPK compound fertilizer in main nursery. The experiment was conducted from January to April 2017 at the Experiment Station Ciparanje, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran. The experimental design used was Randomized Block Design that arranged in factorial patterns with two factors and three replications. The fisrt factor was dosage of organic fertilizers from palm fronds consisted of three levels of 0 g/polybag, 800 g/polybag, and 1600 g/polybag and the second factor was dosage of NPK compound fertilizer consisted of four levels of 0 g/polybag, 20 g/polybag, 40 g/polybag, and 60 g/polybag. The result of the experiment showed that there was interaction effect between organic fertilizers from palm fronds and NPK compound fertilizer on height of seedling and dry weight of the shoot. The dosage of 1600 g/polybag organic fertilizers from palm fronds with the dosage of 20 g/polybag NPK compound fertilizer showed the best result in dry weight of the shoot.Keywords: Oil palm seedling, Main nursery, Organic fertilizer, Palm frond, NPK compound fertilizerABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh interaksi antara pupuk organik asal pelepah kelapa sawit dengan pupuk majemuk NPK yang baik untuk mengurangi penggunaan pupuk majemuk NPK di pembibitan utama kelapa sawit. Percobaan dilaksanakan dari bulan Januari sampai dengan April 2017 di Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Fakultas , Universitas Padjadjaran. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan pola faktorial yang diulang sebanyak tiga kali. Faktor pertama meliputi dosis pupuk organik asal pelepah kelapa sawit terdiri dari tiga taraf yaitu 0 g/polybag, 800 g/polybag, dan 1600 g/polybag dan faktor kedua dosis pupuk majemuk NPK yang terdiri empat taraf yaitu 0 g/polybag, 20 g/polybag, 40 g/polybag, dan 60 g/polybag. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh interaksi pupuk organik asal pelepah kelapa sawit dengan pupuk majemuk NPK terhadap tinggi tanaman dan bobot kering tajuk. Perlakuan pupuk organik asal pelepah kelapa sawit 1600 g/bibit dengan pupuk majemuk NPK 20 g/bibit menghasilkan bobot kering tajuk bibit kelapa sawit terbaik.Kata Kunci: Bibit kelapa sawit, Pembibitan utama, Pupuk organik, Pelepah kelapa sawit, NPK

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Reduced Leaching Fractions Improve Irrigation Use Efficiency and Nutrient Efficacy

Journal of Environmental Horticulture ◽

10.24266/0738-2898-14.4.199 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 199-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Helen H. Tyler ◽

Stuart L. Warren ◽

Ted E. Bilderback

Keyword(s):

Irrigation Water ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Nitrogen Efficiency ◽

Plant Production ◽

N Losses ◽

P Content ◽

Production Area ◽

Total Plant ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Irrigation Volume

Abstract An experiment with two leaching fractions (LF = volume of water leached ÷ volume of water applied) and two fertilizer rates was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduced irrigation volume in combination with reduced fertility on irrigation use efficiency, nutrient efficacy (retention), and plant growth. Rooted cuttings of Cotoneaster dammeri Schneid. ‘Skogholm’ were potted into 3.8 liter (#1) containers in a pine bark: sand substrate (8:1 by vol). Osmocote 24N-1.7P-5.8K (24-4-7) was topdressed at 3.5 g N or 1.75 g N per container at treatment initiation. The experiment, a RCBD with four replications was conducted for 100 days on a container-grown plant production area subdivided into 16 separate plots that allowed for the collection of all irrigation water leaving each plot. Twenty containers were placed in each plot. Irrigation water was applied daily to attain either a high LF of 0.4 to 0.6 or a low LF of 0.0 to 0.2. Irrigation water was applied in two cycles with a two hour rest interval between each application via pressure compensated spray stakes at a rate of 200 ml/min (0.28 in/min). Volume of effluent from each plot was measured daily and analyzed for NO3, NH4, and P. Low LF decreased irrigation volume and effluent volume by 44% and 63%, respectively, compared to high LF. Irrigation use efficiency [total plant dry weight (volume applied-volume leached)] by plants irrigated with low LF was 29% greater than high LF. Compared to high LF, low LF decreased cumulative NO3 and NH4 contents in effluent by 66% and 62%, respectively, for containers fertilized with 3.5 g N. Low LF also reduced cumulative P content in the effluent by 57% compared to high LF. Shoot and total plant dry weights produced with low LF were reduced 8% and 10%, respectively, compared to plants grown with high LF. Root dry weight was not effected by LF. Shoot, root, and total plant dry weights with 1.75 g N were reduced by 26%, 26%, and 28%, respectively compared to 3.5 g N. Nitrogen efficiency was higher when plants were fertilized with 3.5 g N regardless of LF. To maximize N absorption and minimize N losses requires a combination of maintaining an adequate N supply which is this study was 3.5 g N per 3.8 liter container in combination with a low LF.

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Fishwaste Compost Medium Improves Growth and Quality of Container-grown Marigolds and Geraniums Without Leaching

Journal of Environmental Horticulture ◽

10.24266/0738-2898-18.2.93 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 93-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R.L. Hummel ◽

S. Kuo ◽

D. Winters ◽

E.J. Jellum

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Salt Content ◽

Value Added ◽

Growth Index ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Tagetes Patula ◽

Greenhouse Production ◽

Available N ◽

N Source ◽

Growing Medium

Abstract Utilization of fish waste for producing fishwaste compost (FWC) as a value-added product is preferred to disposing of it in ocean dumping or landfills. This study determined: (i) the effectiveness of FWC as a container-growth medium and N source for greenhouse production of marigolds (Tagetes patula L. ‘Queen Sophia’) and geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum L.H. Bailey ‘Sprinter Scarlet’) that were drip-irrigated to prevent leaching; and (ii) if leaching was necessary to sustain plant growth. In a 3 by 3 factorial experiment, plants were grown in 100% FWC, 50% FWC:50% Douglas-fir bark (B), and 100% B at 0, 160, and 320 mg (0, 0.0056, 0.0112 oz) N container−1 applied as NH4NO3 every 2 weeks. Under drip irrigation, FWC in the 100% FWC growing medium supplied a sufficient amount of available N up to 7 weeks after transplanting to produce plant quality, shoot growth index (SGI), and shoot and root dry weights comparable to those treated with 320 mg N container−1. In the 50% FWC: 50% B growing medium fertilization with 320 mg N improved plant growth and quality 7 weeks after transplanting. The concentration of inorganic N (NO3 plus NH4) in the 100% FWC declined to very low levels 7 weeks after transplanting. This indicated that FWC used as the sole component of the growing medium was an effective N source for marigolds and geraniums up to 7 weeks after transplant. Compared with no leach plants, irrigation of 100% FWC marigolds with a weekly leaching fraction of about 0.55 did not affect quality, SGI, and shoot dry weight at the time-of-sale, 7 weeks after transplant. The FWC did not have sufficiently high salt content to require minimum leaching to prevent salt injury to the plants.

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NEW APPROACH TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: PLANT PROBIOTICS

INTERNATIONAL REFEREED JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND SCIENCES ◽

10.17366/uhmfd.2021.15.7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (15) ◽

pp. 0-0

Author(s):

Hatice ÖĞÜTCÜ

Keyword(s):

Root Zone ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Environmentally Friendly ◽

Plant Production ◽

World Population ◽

Production Plant ◽

Plant Tolerance ◽

The World

With the increase in the world population every year, the need for plant and animal foods has increased. In order to meet these needs, the amount of fertilizers (with chemical content) used to increase productivity in agriculture has increased and has become a threat to the soil and the environment. In order to minimize the harms of chemical fertilizers and to preserve the fertility of the soil, new environmentally friendly applications have been researched. In this context, studies on "Plant Probiotics", which are one of the effective applications both in protecting the quality of the soil and increasing the yield in plant production, especially on local isolates and formulations to be prepared from them, have gained momentum. Plant probiotics are a group of microorganisms or microorganisms that can improve soil health, plant growth, and plant tolerance or immunity to various abiotic and biotic stresses, thanks to their potential role in enhanced nutrient acquisition and/or biocontrol activities by colonizing the root zone of plants, called the rhizosphere. As a result of inoculation of plants with strains of these bacteria, which have very different properties (nitrogen binding, phosphate solubilizing, biocontrol agent, stress resistance, phytohormone synthesis), it directly affects the growth and development of the roots and shoots of the plant, increasing the biomass, as well as contributing to the increase of the yield and quality of the product. In this context, the preparation and use of biofertilizer formulations of local plant probiotic bacteria, which will be obtained from their natural areas, has become very important in rational agricultural practices in recent years and intensive researches are carried out. With the use of the aforementioned plant probiotic formulations, environmentally friendly green production will be made by contributing to the production of both foodstuffs and feed raw materials in order to ensure the continuity of the world population. As a result, the protection of the ecosystem will be ensured by preventing environmental pollution, which is the problem of the whole world.

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Use of crushed bark of Picea abies as a soil conditioner in organic spring wheat production

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14569 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elina Nurmi ◽

Päivi Kurki ◽

Iina Haikarainen ◽

Riitta Savikurki ◽

Janne Kaseva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Picea Abies ◽

Spring Wheat ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Chicken Manure ◽

Plant Production ◽

First Year ◽

Severe Drought ◽

Soil Conditioner ◽

Positive Effects

Adding organic matter in the soil is especially important for organic agriculture, which relies on good soil health for plant production. Crushed bark (CB) of Picea abies (L.) Karsten is a forestry by-product, which has been developed into a new soil conditioner for organic farming. It contains up to 80 % organic matter with C/N ratio of 78 and pH 5.7-6.0, but is rather nutrient poor.Organic field experiments on loamy sand with moderate soil fertility took place in Mikkeli, Finland in 2017-2018 in order to test the substance. The fertilization was based on commercial organic fertilizers: chicken manure and blood meal fertilizer in the first year and meat and bone meal fertilizer in the second one. The treatments were control (only fertilization) and one- or two-year applications of CB (40 t ha-1) with or without base ash (4 t ha-1). Other half of plots were left without substances in 2018.No differences between treatments were observed without the base ash in any of years. A one-year application of crushed bark with base ash increased both spring wheat yield quantity and quality. The statistically significant effects were found for yield, N uptake, grain protein content, 1000-seed weight and hectolitre weight compared to control in 2018, a year after application. Despite the severe drought during that growing season, the wheat yields for CB with base ash and control were 3100 kg ha-1 and 2250 kg ha-1, respectively. The positive effects of soil amendments were not as clear in the first year as in the following. No benefits were visible after two-year successive application of CB either alone or with base ash. Spruce CB in addition with base ash may be beneficial in terms of yield and quality when it is applied only once in large amounts. In our study the effects were overall greater in the following year after the application.

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