Printed Paper Waste as an Alternative Growing Medium Component to Produce Brassica Seedlings under Nursery Conditions

Significant quantities of paper waste (PW) have been accumulated in recent years and the reuse/recycling of PW is required due to environmental concerns. In the present study, printed PW was used as a peat (P) substitute in growing medium for the Brassica seedlings production, considering recycling, sustainable agriculture, and partly peat replacement. Seeds of cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage were seeded in growing media made of 0–10–30–50% PW. The addition of PW improved the growing media pH and mineral content, reduced the media aeration, and affected seed emergence. The PW decreased plant growth and the effects were more pronounced at 50% PW. The PW ≥ 30% decreased stomatal conductance, while chlorophyll fluorescence and content of chlorophylls decreased with high PW ratio, negatively affecting the plant physiology. The PW decreased plant sodium and iron and increased potassium, calcium, magnesium, and copper content. The PW increased antioxidant activity to a certain degree for cauliflower and cabbage and resulted in no change for broccoli, while polyphenols increased in cabbage seedlings. The addition of PW did not cause cellular damage as both lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide production remained at low levels, maintaining low levels on the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase) metabolism. The present study shows that low PW content can partially replace peat for Brassica seedling production under a sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly scheme.

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Use of Paclobutrazol to Control Height of Impatiens Grown in Media Containing Compost

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.3.436c ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 436C-436

Author(s):

Kimberly A. Klock

Keyword(s):

Growth Regulators ◽

Active Ingredient ◽

Final Height ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Growing Media ◽

Growing Medium ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ornamental Horticulture ◽

The Media ◽

Impatiens Wallerana

Ornamental horticulture industries have the opportunity to utilize compost products as components in growing media, but heterogeneity among compost products can cause unpredictability in the activity of some growth regulators when applied as a drenches to the growing medium. These experiments evaluated the effect of 0%, 30%, 60%, or 100% compost (by volume) in the medium on the efficacy of paclobutrazol applied as a drench on Impatiens wallerana Hook. In experiment 1, paclobutrazol was applied at active ingredient (a.i.) drench rates of 0, 0.016, 0.032, 0.06, or 0.125 mg/pot 16 days after transplanting impatiens `Accent Red'. In experiment 2, paclobutrazol was applied at a.i. drench rates of 0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/pot 14 days after transplanting impatiens `Dazzler Punch'. In both experiments, final height and size were reduced by paclobutrazol treatments compared to untreated plants. In experiment 1, shoot dry mass of treated plants was on the average of 0.92 g less than untreated plants, while shoot dry mass, in experiment 2, did not show a significant difference between treated and untreated plants. In both experiments, final height, size and shoot dry mass were significantly different among the media, with the greatest growth in 100% compost.

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Growth of Dracaena marginata and Spathiphyllum ‘Petite’ in Sphagnum Peat- and Coconut Coir Dust-based Growing Media

Journal of Environmental Horticulture ◽

10.24266/0738-2898-17.1.49 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 49-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Robert H. Stamps ◽

Michael R. Evans

Keyword(s):

Growth Parameters ◽

Cocos Nucifera ◽

Greenhouse Production ◽

Growing Media ◽

Sphagnum Peat ◽

Affected Plant ◽

Coir Dust ◽

Media Component ◽

The Media ◽

Cocos Nucifera L

Abstract A comparison was made of Canadian sphagnum peat (SP) and Philippine coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) coir dust (CD) as growing media components for greenhouse production of Dracaena marginata Bak. and Spathiphyllum Schott ‘Petite’. Three soilless foliage plant growing mixes (Cornell, Hybrid, University of Florida #2 [UF-2]) were prepared using either SP or CD and pine bark (PB), vermiculite (V), and/or perlite (P) in the following ratios (% by vol): Cornell = 50 CD or SP:25 V:25 P, Hybrid = 40 CD or SP:30 V:30 PB, UF-2 = 50 CD or SP: 50 PB. Dracaena root growth was not affected by treatments but there were significant mix × media component interactions that affected plant top growth parameters. In general, the growth and quality of D. marginata were reduced by using CD in Cornell, had no effect in Hybrid, and increased in UF-2. S. ‘Petite’ grew equally well in all growing mixes regardless of whether CD or SP was used; however, plants grew more in Cornell and Hybrid than in UF-2. S. ‘Petite’ roots, which were infested with Cylindrocladium spathiphylli, had higher grades when grown in CD than when the media contained SP.

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UTILIZATION OF RAWAPENING PEAT FOR NUTRIENT BLOCK AS A MEDIA NURSERIES Anthocephalus cadaba and Paraserianthes falcataria

Jurnal Rekayasa Lingkungan ◽

10.29122/jrl.v8i1.1980 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

E. Hanggari Sittadewi., dkk

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Environmental Degradation ◽

Leaf Growth ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Paraserianthes Falcataria ◽

Land Rehabilitation ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Growing Medium ◽

The Media

Nutrient Block is a growing medium product in the form of a square (25 x 25 cm) or cylindrical (diameter = 20 cm, height = 25 cm) made of peat which has been composted, plus adhesive gypsum or tapioca waste. Nutrient Block is designed to support the post mining land rehabilitation program that is now threatening the environmental degradation in mining areas. Nutrient Block products has been proved good for growth because of the media in addition to having physical properties that are capable of storing large amounts of water, contain enough nutrients in the form available to plants,so it can support plant growth. Results of the Nutrient Block application test to Jabon (Anthocephalus cadaba) and Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) plants showed that good performance, both plant height and diameter of trees and leaf growth in plants Jabon appear healthy and getting wider.keywords: nutrient block, post-mining land rehabilitation. Paraserianthes falcataria, Anthocephalus cadaba

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Planning Micronutrient-Dense Menus in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes: Strategies and Challenges

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research ◽

10.3148/cjdpr-2020-014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (4) ◽

pp. 198-203

Author(s):

Lisa M. Duizer ◽

Heather H. Keller

Keyword(s):

Small Volume ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Term Care ◽

Dietary Reference Intakes ◽

Portion Sizes ◽

Calcium Magnesium ◽

Micronutrient Malnutrition ◽

Low Levels ◽

Food Consumed

Prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition is high in individuals living in long-term care (LTC) homes with many individuals consuming low levels of vitamins B6, D, and E; folate; calcium; magnesium; and zinc. The focus of this research was to identify strategies and challenges encountered during development of micronutrient-dense menus for use in Ontario LTC homes and to examine costs associated with development of a menu with acceptable micronutrients. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with 13 menu planners (7 dietitians, 6 nutrition managers) in diverse LTC homes in Ontario. Data were thematically analyzed. A 7-day hypothetical menu meeting all nutrient requirements was developed and costed. Analysis of the interview data showed that menus are planned according to the Canada’s Food Guide (2007) and focus placed on Dietary Reference Intakes of protein, fibre, calcium, and sodium. Little focus is placed on micronutrients. Flexibility in foods offered was important to accommodate the small volume of food consumed. Resident preferences were balanced against nutritional requirements. Challenges included planning for diverse populations, managing portion sizes, and balancing the budget. A hypothetical menu planned to contain adequate levels of all micronutrients is 49% higher in food costs than the amount currently provided to Ontario LTC homes.

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Contribution of Gut Microbiota-Derived Uremic Toxins to the Cardiovascular System Mineralization

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13040274 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 274

Author(s):

Iwona Filipska ◽

Agata Winiarska ◽

Monika Knysak ◽

Tomasz Stompór

Keyword(s):

Kidney Disease ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Mineral Content ◽

Uremic Toxins ◽

World Population ◽

Uremic Toxin ◽

Excess Morbidity ◽

The Media ◽

Cardio Vascular ◽

End Stage

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 10% of the world population and leads to excess morbidity and mortality (with cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of death). Vascular calcification (VC) is a phenomenon of disseminated deposition of mineral content within the media layer of arteries preceded by phenotypic changes in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and/or accumulation of mineral content within the atherosclerotic lesions. Medial VC results in vascular stiffness and significantly contributes to increased cardio-vascular (CV) morbidity, whereas VC of plaques may rather increase their stability. Mineral and bone disorders of CKD (CKD-MBD) contribute to VC, which is further aggravated by accumulation of uremic toxins. Both CKD-MBD and uremic toxin accumulation affect not only patients with advanced CKD (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 15 mL/min./1.72 m2, end-stage kidney disease) but also those on earlier stages of a disease. The key uremic toxins that contribute to VC, i.e., p-cresyl sulphate (PCS), indoxyl sulphate (IS) and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) originate from bacterial metabolism of gut microbiota. All mentioned toxins promote VC by several mechanisms, including: Transdifferentiation and apoptosis of VSMC, dysfunction of endothelial cells, oxidative stress, interaction with local renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system or miRNA profile modification. Several attractive methods of gut microbiota manipulations have been proposed in order to modify their metabolism and to limit vascular damage (and VC) triggered by uremic toxins. Unfortunately, to date no such method was demonstrated to be effective at the level of “hard” patient-oriented or even clinically relevant surrogate endpoints.

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Utilization of paper waste as growing media for potted ornamental plants

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy ◽

10.1007/s10098-018-1647-7 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 1937-1948 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Antonios Chrysargyris ◽

Menelaos Stavrinides ◽

Konstantinos Moustakas ◽

Nikos Tzortzakis

Keyword(s):

Ornamental Plants ◽

Growing Media ◽

Paper Waste

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Combining Selenium Biofortification with Vermicompost Growing Media in Lamb’s Lettuce (Valerianella locusta L. Laterr)

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11111072 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1072

Author(s):

Lucija Galić ◽

Marija Špoljarević ◽

Alicja Auriga ◽

Boris Ravnjak ◽

Tomislav Vinković ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Waste ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Leafy Vegetables ◽

Sodium Selenate ◽

Human Populations ◽

Human Diet ◽

Growing Media ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Growing Medium

Leafy vegetables are a daily part of the human diet all over the world. At the same time, a worldwide problem of Se malnutrition is present in human populations, mostly due to low soil Se contents. As plants represent the main source of this element in the human diet, with Se being an essential trace element for humans and animals, plant foods containing Se can be used as an efficient means of increasing the Se in the human diet, as well as in animal feed (biofortification). At the same time, the production of growing media relies on limited peat reserves. The use of earthworms facilitates the production of composted organic masses mostly consisting of organic waste, called vermicompost. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of three different growing media (commercial peat media, vermicompost, and a 1:1 mixture) on Se biofortification’s efficacy and yield in lamb’s lettuce. The Se biofortification was performed with sodium selenate (Na2SeO4). It was shown that biofortification increased the Se contents such that a mass of only 48.9 g of fresh leaves contained enough Se for the recommended daily intake in human nutrition (55 µg Se/day), which represents a significant potential for solving Se malnutrition. Furthermore, the use of a 1:1 vermicompost–commercial substrate mixture showed a similar performance to the peat growing medium, contributing to the preservation of peat reserves.

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Effect of low ambient mineral concentrations on the accumulation of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus by early life stages of the air-breathing armoured catfish Megalechis personata (Siluriformes: Callichthyidae)

Journal of Experimental Biology ◽

10.1242/jeb.202.15.2121 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 202 (15) ◽

pp. 2121-2129 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J.H. Mol ◽

W. Atsma ◽

G. Flik ◽

H. Bouwmeester ◽

J.W. Osse

Keyword(s):

Fresh Water ◽

Early Life ◽

Mineral Content ◽

Life Stages ◽

Early Life Stages ◽

Calcium Magnesium ◽

Calcium And Magnesium ◽

Calcium And Phosphorus ◽

Armoured Catfish ◽

Mineral Accumulation

The accumulation of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus was measured during an 8-week period in the early life stages of the air-breathing armoured catfish Megalechis personata acclimated to low-mineral fresh water (0.073 mmol l-1 calcium, 0.015 mmol l-1 magnesium, <0.001 mmol l-1 phosphate) and high-mineral fresh water (0.59 mmol l-1 calcium, 1.94 mmol l-1 magnesium, <0.001 mmol l-1 phosphate). The fish accumulated calcium twice as fast and phosphorus 1.5 times as fast in low-mineral fresh water (LMF) as in high-mineral fresh water (HMF), while the rate of accumulation of magnesium did not differ in LMF and HMF. The difference in the rates of accumulation of calcium and phosphorus between LMF and HMF was independent of the growth performance (food intake) in LMF and HMF. The mineral content of young M. personata from natural swamps and rainforest creeks in Suriname followed the LMF accumulation curves. The transition from aquatic respiration to bimodal respiration in the third week after hatching did not affect rates of mineral accumulation. The high rates of accumulation of calcium and magnesium of M. personata in LMF of 654 and 58 micromol h-1 kg-1, respectively, exceed the rates of uptake of calcium and magnesium of teleosts reported in the literature. The high rates of mineral accumulation in the early life stages of M. personata reflect the exponential growth during the first 8 weeks after hatching and the requirements of the juveniles while building their dermal armour. M. personata is well-adapted to neotropical fresh waters with an extremely low mineral content. The accumulation of calcium and phosphorus is discussed in relation to the function of the bony armour of M. personata.

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Supplement of biochar and vermicompost amendments in coir and peat growing media improves N management and yields of leafy vegetables

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1139/cjss-2020-0059 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Aimé J. Messiga ◽

Xiuming Hao ◽

Martine Dorais ◽

Carine S. Bineng ◽

Noura Ziadi

Keyword(s):

Leafy Vegetables ◽

Partial Substitution ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Yield Gap ◽

Mineral N ◽

Growing Media ◽

Growing Medium ◽

N Management ◽

N Rates ◽

Plot Design

A greenhouse trial assessed the effects of biochar and vermicompost as partial substitutes of conventional growing media on leafy vegetables’ yields and changes of NH4+-N and NO3−-N in growing medium and leachates. Six growing media mixtures [(a) coir, (b) coir + biochar, (c) coir + vermicompost, (d) peat, (e) peat +vermicompost, (f) peat + biochar] combined with three nitrogen (N) rates [0% (0 g N·pot−1), 50% (0.5 g N·pot−1), and 100% (1.0 g N·pot−1) commercial recommendation] were arranged in a split-plot design with three replicates. On average, the yield gap between 100% N and 50% N was improved when biochar and vermicompost were used as substitutes of coir (32% and 28% vs. 49%) and peat (14% and 18% vs. 27%). The concentrations of NH4+-N in the leachates for peat + biochar varied between 17.20 and 1.00 mg·L−1. The concentrations of NO3−-N in the leachates varied between 130.0 and 1.0 mg·L−1 for coir + vermicompost, and 60 and 1.0 mg·L−1 for peat + vermicompost. The residual NO3−-N in peat + biochar growing media and the leachates did not match the changes observed for NH4+-N, and the much lower residual NH4+-N indicates possible NH4+-N retention by biochar and loss through volatilization in the early growth stages. Our results show that partial substitution of peat with biochar and coir with vermicompost maintained acceptable crop yield at 50% N due probably to N supply by vermicompost and decreased residual mineral N and loss by biochar in the leachates which could be beneficial for the environment.

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VARIATION IN MINERAL CONTENT OF SASKATCHEWAN FEED GRAINS

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas77-086 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 679-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

B. D. OWEN ◽

M. J. FARMER ◽

F. SOSULSKI ◽

K. K. WU

Keyword(s):

Soil Type ◽

Mineral Content ◽

Clay Soils ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Soil Types ◽

Soil Zone ◽

Coefficients Of Variation ◽

Oat Cultivars ◽

Low Levels ◽

Gray Soil

The concentration of Ca, P, Mg, K, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and Se were determined in wheat, barley and oat cultivars grown in four soil zones incorporating two soil types during a 5-yr period. Ca and K in Saskatchewan grains were much lower than published values, while Zn and Fe values were much higher. Se contents in each grain averaged 0.25 ppm and were substantially below values reported in the literature. Se and Cu levels were extremely variable (CV = 31–81%), but coefficients of variation (CV) for other minerals ranged from 9 to 35%. The effects of season, soil zone, soil type and cultivar on composition of Ca, P, Mg and K were significant in most grains. Seasonal effects on Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe were quite marked, but soil type had little effect and there were few significant differences between cultivars. Grain samples from Gray soil locations were characteristically high in Zn and low in Mn. Average Se content in grain from the Brown soil zone (0.39–0.55 ppm) was highest. There was a progressive decrease through the Dark Brown and Black soils to very low levels in samples from the Gray soil zone (0.06–0.07 ppm). In each type of grain, clay soils were associated with higher Se levels than loam soils.

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