Water content, resorption of N and P, and the growth of teak Tectona grandis L.f. seedlings on four types of growing media under drought stress

Growing media that contain organic materials can provide nutrients and water for plants. This study analyzed the availability and effects of nutrients and water, N and P resorption, and growth of teak seedlings under drought stress. The growing medium was made from ultisol soil (M1), ultisol soil with husk charcoal (M2), ultisol soil with chicken manure (M3), and ultisol soil with compost (M4), then planted with teak seeds. Maintenance was conducted by field capacity watering for 30 days. Teak seedlings were treated with drought stress for 90 days. Based on the analysis, growing media total N ranged from 0.19 to 0.28%, total P ranged from 0.10 to 0.17%, and water ranged from 11.40 to 16.20%. Teak seedling leaves contain N nutrient ranging from 0.34 to 0.95 % and P nutrient ranging from 0.04 to 0.16 %. The N resorption ability of teak seedlings ranged from 26 to 31%, and P resorption was around 20 to 25 %. The height growth of teak seedlings ranged from 80 to 115cm, the stem diameter from 1.4 to 1.8cm, the leaf area from 630 to 650cm2, and the thickness of the leaves from 545 to 462µm. Growing media made from ultisol soil and chicken manure (M3) produced the best water content, N and P resorption, and the growth of teak seedlings after 3 days of drought stress.

Effects of plant growth regulators and growing media on propagation and field establishment of Stevia rebaudiana: a medicinal plant of commerce

Background Stevia rebaudiana is an economically important medicinal plant that has generated interest among the growers and pharmacologists in terms of its industrial or pharmaceutical value. For the mass production of the seedlings, easy and convenient techniques are lacking while, micro propagation was reported promising but still out of reach at farm level. The unavailability of quality planting materials due to non-viable seeds is restricting its mass commercial scale cultivation. The present study was therefore attempted to standardize the plant growth regulators and growing media to standardize the vegetative propagation protocol through cuttings for its mass multiplication in Terai region of West Bengal, India. Methods Growing media (soil, FYM, saw dust and sand) as sole and in combination and growth hormones (IAA, IBA and NAA in different concentration and a commercial formulation i.e. Totoroot© with different exposure time) were compared with control (i.e. sole soil and no hormone treatment, respectively) to standardize the nursery protocol of Stevia. Results Sand used as sole was found the best growing media for survival and growth of cuttings while, cuttings treated with commercial growth hormone formulation for 5 mins was best. Cuttings treated with commercial growth hormone formulation performed significantly better in the field with respect to survival, growth and production of leaves. Conclusion The study recommends the use of sole sand media and commercial growth hormone formulation with 5 mins exposure time for mass nursery production of Stevia cuttings in Terai zone of West Bengal due to their better performance both in the nursery and after transplanting in the field.

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

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.

Effectiveness of Gandasil D Fertilizer Concentration on Indigofera Seedling Growth in Various Growing Media Compositions

Indigofera sp. is an environmentally friendly source of indigo dye for batik production and a material for livestock industry because this plant potentially serves as a forage protein source. This plant has the potential to be further developed and its cultivation requires quality seeds. Seedling growth is an important factor in achieving maximum productivity. Increasing its growth can be done by providing sufficient nutrients and using appropriate growing media. The results showed that there was an interaction between the concentration of Gandasil D fertilizer and growing media composition, namely at Gandasil D fertilizer concentration of 2 g/1 liter of water and a growing medium consisting of coco peat and compost with the parameters of plant height and stem diameter observed at 10 WAP. The Gandasil D fertilizer concentration of 2 g/1 liter of water affected the growth of Indigofera seedlings more effectively than other concentrations. A growing medium consisting of coco peat and compost with a ratio of 1:1 was more effective in boosting the growth of Indigofera seedlings than growing media consisting of other compositions.

Compost Based on Pulp and Paper Mill Sludge, Fruit-Vegetable Waste, Mushroom Spent Substrate and Rye Straw Improves Yield and Nutritional Value of Tomato

Plant biomass in the form of waste materials and by-products from various industries can be a valuable material for the production of composts and growing media for urban gardening. In this study, pulp and paper mill sludge, fruit-vegetable waste, mushroom spent substrate and rye straw were used to produce compost that was further used as a medium component in container cultivation of tomato. The plants were grown in containers with a capacity of 3 dm3 filled with three types of compost-based growing media supplemented with high peat, fen peat, pine bark and wood fiber. The tomato plants grown in 100% peat substrate served as controls. The plants grown in the compost-enriched media had a higher leaf greening index and percentage of ripe fruit, and exhibited an increased content of total polyphenols and flavonoids, potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper in fruit as compared with the control. The tomatoes grown in a medium consisting of 25% compost, 30% high peat, 15% low peat, 20% pine bark and 10% wood fiber reached the highest fresh fruit weight, total polyphenol content and L-ascorbic acid levels. This study demonstrated that the compost produced from natural materials from various sources was a valuable potting medium supplement with positive effects on tomato yield and nutritional value.

Testing the Impact of the Waste Product from Biogas Plants on Plant Germination and Initial Root Growth

During biogas production, anaerobic digestion of plant material rich in nutrients results in the so-called whole digestate. The application of nutrient-rich material present in digestate could have fertilising effects, especially in intensively used agricultural soils, andin crop yields that can affect the nutrient cycle. The aim of this article is to inform about possibilities of using mixture of digestate andhaylage (use the fertilizing effect of both matters), and at the same time contribute to the improvement of agrochemical properties ofsoil. This study evaluates the effect of applying the mixture of digestate and haylage on germination and early stages of plant development. This article deals with primary test mixtures of digestate and haylage at ratios 10:1, 5:1 and 3:1 and compares the results withwhole digestate applications. Simplified statistically calculated quantities showed that all examined mixtures better fertilizing effect incomparison with the control growing media. Based on the chemical analysis of the growing medias, a growing media with mixtures ofdigestate and haylage characterizing as growing medias with a high content of nutrients and a low amount of hazardous metal wasinvestigated. The examined growing media thus met the limits for organic and commercial fertilizers. Fertilizing effects of growingmedia with mixture of digestate an haylage can also be noted on increasing the proportion of macronutrients in the soil, reducingfertilization only throughout whole digestate.

Factors Controlling the Hydraulic Efficiency of Green Roofs in the Metropolitan Area of Milan (Italy)

Green roofs (GRs) are considered sustainable solutions for the adaptation of urban water management to climate change. The use of GRs is particularly promising in urban environments like the Metropolitan Area of Milan, the most urbanized area in Italy. In this work, we evaluated the subsurface runoff coefficient at the event-time scale, for more than one year of observations, of 68 small-scale test beds comprising different configurations of green roofs (e.g., different vegetations, types and depths of growing media, and different slopes) installed in the Metropolitan Area of Milan. The objectives of this study are three-fold. Firstly, the controlling factors of the hydraulic have been assessed for efficiency. We calculated a mean drainage flow rate of 51%, finding that growing media play a significant role in determining the drainage flow during the spring, at the beginning of the vegetative period. During this season, water retention in fertilized beds increases significantly. At the beginning of the summer, the vegetation cover is able to significantly reduce the drainage flow, playing an even more crucial role with respect to the growing medium material. However, we found that the vegetation type (grass field and Sedum) does not play a significant role in the retention processes. Secondly, the delay of the peak flow rate was determined. We found a precipitation peak delay from 1 to 2 h, which would be sufficient to guarantee environmental benefits for urban drainage. Finally, the factors controlling the hydraulic efficiency of GRs for individual precipitation events were assessed. We found that soil moisture and cumulated precipitation are both significant factors determining the drainage flow rate. In conclusion, we point out that soil moisture is one of the main parameters characterizing GR drainage and should be further considered in future research efforts devoted to the analysis of GR performance.

Perceptions of Biosecurity-Based Accreditation in the Plant Trade: A UK Example

It is widely acknowledged that a major threat to tree health biosecurity comes from trade, particularly through the importation of containerised live plants and associated growing media. Nurseries can collectively play a key role in mitigating pests and diseases through attention to their daily practices (e.g., procuring plants, storage and management). More widespread adoption of best practices in the sector could be promoted through the introduction of a UK-wide accreditation scheme. However, the success of such a scheme would depend not only on its uptake by nurseries but also on the attitudes of key consumers in the plant supply chain. To date, the perspectives of the nursery sector on the feasibility of plant biosecurity, as well as the sensitivity of these sectors to consumer opinion, have remained under-researched. Using the COM-B [Capability, Opportunity, Motivation—Behaviour] model as a framework, we draw on qualitative results to assess the appetite for a hypothetical accreditation scheme amongst UK nurseries and the capability, opportunities and motivations to enhance their biosecurity practices. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with plant nurseries and 22 with their consumers. Overall a plant health accreditation scheme should have actions that are: (1) viable within the confines of the site and supply chain; (2) affordable where the benefits of changes/improvements outweigh the costs; (3) beneficial in that they promote biosecurity; (4) attractive to consumers looking to purchase products from accredited nurseries; (5) fair and inclusive where everyone has responsibility for biosecurity; (6) transparent with the scheme involving a strong monitoring and auditing component. This study provides important insights that will feed into the development of plant biosecurity-focussed accreditation or certification.