Fertilization Strategy Affects Production and Postproduction Performance of Petunia

The amount of fertilizer applied during the commercial production of bedding plants has decreased in recent years because of increasing concerns about environmental impacts and the need to minimize production costs. However, reduced fertilization affects plant growth and flowering during production and in the postproduction environment. Plants grown with lower nutrient levels may perform satisfactorily during greenhouse production, but they may possess insufficient nutrients to sustain further growth in the postproduction environment, where fertilizer application is frequently lacking. This study examined conventional and alternative fertilizer delivery strategies that produce high-quality petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) during greenhouse production and continue to support plant growth and flowering in the postproduction environment. The fertilizer treatments during production consisted of four constant liquid fertilization (CLF) treatments of 0, 50, 100, or 200 ppm nitrogen (N) and three controlled-release fertilization (CRF) treatments (0, 4, or 8 lb/yard3). Three pulse fertilization (PF) treatments (0, 300, or 600 ppm N) were applied immediately before moving the plants to the postproduction environment. During production, petunia growth and development increased as CLF increased from 0 to 200 ppm N, but the addition of CRF resulted in the increase occurring at a declining rate. During postproduction, the interactive effects of CLF and CRF continued in a similar pattern as that seen in the production environment. The additional PF treatments resulted in further increases in plant growth. Across all CLF and CRF treatments, the leaf area increased from 466 to 540 cm2 as PF increased from 0 to 300 ppm N, and the leaf area increased further to 631 cm2 as PF increased from 300 to 600 ppm N. Based on our findings, two alternative strategies are possible. First, 0 to 50 ppm N CLF can be combined with 4 lb/yard3 CRF. The second strategy maintains the standard commercial practice of applying 100 ppm N CLF treatment and then applying a 300- to 600-ppm N PF treatment. These results suggest that a relatively low CLF rate can be used to achieve the desired production characteristics while reducing the cost of plant growth regulation, and that additional plant nutrition can be provided with CRF and/or PF to enhance the postproduction performance.

Influence of the UAN Fertilizer Application on Quantitative and Qualitative Changes in Semi-Natural Grassland in Western Carpathians

Semi-natural grasslands are particularly important in mountainous areas of Romania, being the only source of forage for many farmers. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in forage quantity and quality as a result of Urea Ammonium nitrate (UAN) liquid fertilization. The experiment was carried out in the eastern part of Apuseni Mountains, Romania on a Festuca rubra L.-Agrostis capillaris L. grassland located at 1240 m altitude. Studies were made over three years of experimental trial (2014–2016) and covered four experimental plots in three replicates, as follows: V1–control plot, unfertilized; V2–plot fertilized with 50 kg UAN ha−1 year−1; V3–plot fertilized with 75 kg UAN ha−1 year−1, and V4–plot fertilized with 100 kg UAN ha−1 year−1. The experimental plots were harvested once per year and the botanical composition, dry matter yield and forage quality were assessed. Our results showed important changes in forage quantity, quality and diversity as a result of UAN fertilization. Starting from the second experimental year the dominance/co-dominance ratio changed favoring the species from Poaceae family. Dry matter increased as a result of UAN fertilization but forage quality was negatively affected by the higher percentage of participation of species from other botanical families which have higher crude fiber content and lower crude protein. Based on our results we recommend moderate fertilization with UAN up to 50 kg UAN ha−1 year−1 for semi-natural grasslands located in soil-climatic conditions similar to those in our experiment.

INFLUÊNCIA DE ADUBOS LÍQUIDOS NA PRODUÇÃO DE ESPIGA DE MILHO VERDE IRRIGADO

Nos últimos anos, os fertilizantes líquidos começaram a ter uma demanda maior no mercado agrícola, contudo ainda se busca melhorar a metodologia de aplicação. Assim, neste trabalho, buscou-se avaliar a eficiência de produtos líquidos via fertirrigação sobre os aspectos de desenvolvimento e de produtividade da cultura do milho verde irrigada por gotejamento. O delineamento experimental foi constituído por 3 modalidades de adubação: Adubação Mineral (padrão da fazenda), adubação líquida com concentração de 50% e 100%, com 4 modelos de adubação em cobertura, a testemunha (padrão da fazenda) e líquido, nas proporções de 50%, 100% e 150%. Foram avaliados diâmetro basal do colmo, altura da planta e da inserção da espiga principal, comprimento da espiga, porcentagem e números de espigas comerciais, massa fresca e seca da planta, massa fresca e seca da espiga. A aplicação dos adubos líquidos por fertirrigação na cultura do milho influenciou positivamente nas características agronômicas e produtividade de massas. THE INFLUENCE OF LIQUID FERTILIZERS OVER IRRIGATED SWEET CORN EAR PRODUCTION ABSTRACT Over the last years, liquid fertilizers have been more demanded in the agricultural market, however, we are still in search of improvements for their applying methodology. Thus, this paper aims at evaluating the effectiveness of liquid products via fertirrigation over the development aspects and productivity when growing drip-irrigated sweet corn. The trial designer comprised 3 fertilization types: Mineral Fertilization (farm standard), 50% and 100% concentrated liquid fertilization, with 4 fertilization types for covering, testimonial (farm standard), and liquid in the proportions 50%, 100%, and 150%. The basal diameter of the reed, as well as the plant height and main ear insertion, percentage and number of commercial corn ears, fresh and dry mass of the plant, fresh and dry mass of the ear. The liquid fertilizer application via fertirrigation in sweet corn crops influenced positively in agronomic characteristics and mass productivity. Keywords: Sandy soil; Zeamays; Nutrients.

Response of the common bean to liquid fertilizer and Rhizobium tropici inoculation

The common bean production system is majorly based on the use of granular fertilizers to provide nutrients for the crop. Studies on the use of liquid fertilization at an appropriated depth and, seed inoculation with Rhizobium tropici can provide significant increases in the grain yield of the common bean. The objective of this study was to determine the growth and productivity of common bean as affected by N-P formulations, application depths and the inoculation with R. tropici. Field experiments were carried out in 2015 and 2016 cropping years using a complete block design, in a 2x2x2 factorial arrangement, with four replicates. The treatments involved the combination of N-P formulation (granular and liquid), two application depths of the N-P formulation (6 and 12 cm) and with or without rhizobia inoculant. The plant density (PD), number of pods (NP), number of grains (NG), mass of 100 grains (M100) and grain yield (GY) were determined. The granular and liquid N-P formulations provided similar results for PD, NP, NG, and GY of common bean. Similarly, the application depth of the N-P formulations did not affect GY. Inoculation of the seed with R. tropici stimulated NP and NG, increasing GY. Growth and productivity parameters were equally affected by the type of formulation and application depth; however, GY was greater with rhizobial inoculant. Thus, the liquid N-P formulation, applied at 6 cm depth, associated with rhizobial inoculant can improve the crop management providing better control of application uniformity, minimal soil mobilization, less fuel consumption, and increased grain yield.

Nutrition and Fertilization of Palms in Containers

Palms growing in containers are susceptible to the same deficiencies that landscape palms experience, but the relative importance of the various deficiencies as well as their causes are different. Container substrates are generally more acidic and have greater nutrient-holding capacity than Florida native soils. Thus leaching and insolubility of nutrients are much less of a problem. Also, container-grown palms are often fertilized with more complete controlled-release fertilizers or regular liquid fertilization, which prevents most deficiencies from occurring. This document is ENH1010, one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005. ENH1010/EP262: Nutrition and Fertilization of Palms in Containers (ufl.edu)

Monitoring System for Soil Moisture, Temperature, pH and Automatic Watering of Tomato Plants Based on Internet of Things

Diera Digitizing today almost all equipment uses technology. One benefit can be applied to agriculture, namely the internet, from things to monitor agricultural ecosystems and can be used as a reference for farmers in making decisions. This system is designed so that farmers can know the parameters of determining soil membranes, temperature, pH and watering and liquid fertilization are used to influence the growth of tomato plants, and facilitate farmers in relation, implementing this system can minimize crop recovery caused by weather factors, reduce nutrition , etc. Through the implementation of this support system, farmers are expected to produce tomatoes that are better and more suitable for consumption by the community. System testing and placement is carried out in a greenhouse where in several measurement parameters such as in the air and pH must be in accordance with the ideal level of tomato plant data, the optimal data level is between 60% -80% so it is not too dry for water, 24- 28 degrees Celsius, and pH is stable 5-6. The results of the humidity sensor readings showed good results considering the average error of 1.19%, the pH sensor with the linear regression calibration method with the equation to find the pH namely X (pH) = (330.46-Y (ADC)) / 45.49 the results obtained are quite accurate if the test error is 1.59%, while the temperature sensor tests the average error in the unit time test which is 0.92%. While testing the entire system obtained various results depending on the test obtained by the unit time for 24 hours, but tomato plants that have quite ideal results while those that are valued at 30% - 80% for soil moisture, and> 5.5 - 7.2 for pH . Keywords: Internet of things, monitoring, tomato plants, measurement parameters, greenhouse