Growth of Viburnum tinus in peat-based and peat-substitute growing media

Little information is currently available on how fertilization management affects leachate composition and the plant nitrogen (N) uptake of crops under Mediterranean climate. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of different fertilization strategies and doses on the composition of the leachates and the use of N by plants, to establish a N balance for the different fertilization strategies and doses used and to establish a linear regression model to predict N concentration in leachates from an outdoor potted crop of Viburnum tinus L. 'Eve Price'. Two fertilizations strategies, i.e. continuous fertigation (NS) and incorporated controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), were applied to the crop. The treatments were two NS doses (NSA: 57.4 mg NO 3 --N L -1 and NSB: 43.4 mg NO 3 --N L -1 ) and two CRF doses (CRFC: 5 g L -1 and CRFD: 7 g L -1 ). The NO 3 --N concentration in the leachates from the CRF treatments was high in the first weeks of growing (100-300 mg L -1 ). The efficiency of use of N was greater in the NSA treatment (9.2 g g -1 ). When CRFC was applied there was an increased loss of N by leaching (48 % of the total N). The concentration of N in the leachates for both fertilization strategies was found to be correlated with the variables substrate temperature and precipitation. Therefore, these variables must be considered when determining the dose of fertilizer to be added to a crop, especially when CRF are chosen, to avoid high losses of N by leaching.Additional key words: controlled-release fertilizer; fertigation; Mediterranean climate; nitrate pollution; nitrogen efficiency; woody ornamental. ResumenEfectos del clima y de la estrategia de fertilización en el balance de nitrógeno en un cultivo al exterior en contenedor de Viburnum tinus L.Existe poca información sobre el efecto de la estrategia de fertilización en la composición de los lixiviados y la absorción de nitrógeno (N) por un cultivo en clima mediterráneo. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar el efecto de diferentes estrategias de fertilización y dosis en la composición de los lixiviados y en el uso del N por las plantas, establecer un balance de N basado en la estrategia de fertilización y dosis aplicadas y establecer un modelo lineal para predecir la concentración de N en los lixiviados de un cultivo de Viburnum tinus L. `Eve Price´. Se aplicaron al cultivo fertilizantes mediante fertirrigación continua ( ). Las pérdi-das de N por lixiviación aumentaron significativamente al aplicar el tratamiento CRFC (48% del N total). La concentración de N en los lixiviados de todos los tratamientos se correlacionó con las variables temperatura del sustrato y precipitación, por lo que éstas deben ser consideradas para determinar la dosis de fertilizantes a añadir a un cultivo, especialmente cuando se usan CRF, y así evitar elevadas pérdidas de N por lixiviación.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of climate and fertilization strategy on nitrogen balance in an outdoor potted crop of Viburnum tinus L.

Narváez

Cáceres

Marfà

2012

“…However, in similar studies, the application of higher quantities of N through the NS or CRF than those we have applied did not result in a higher amount of N absorbed by plants (Cabrera, 2003;Narváez et al, 2012). In other studies carried out with ornamental woody plants, around 0.1 g of N was taken up by the plant per month (Guérin et al, 2001;Narváez et al, 2012). In our study, this rate ranged from 1.5 g of N when the NS-A treatment was applied and 0.4 g of N when the CRF-D treatment was applied (Table 2).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…Nitrates from fertilizers are the dominant form of nitrogen (N) in leachates from crops (Cabrera, 1997;Fernández-Escobar et al, 2004;Oliet et al, 2004;Narváez et al, 2012). Half of the nutrients and water applied has been described to be lost in potted shrubs production along the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia (Guérin et al, 2001). Meteorological conditions (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of different fertilization strategies on nitrogen balance in an outdoor potted crop of Osteospermum ecklonis (DC.) Norl. ‘Purple Red’ under Mediterranean climate conditions

Narváez

Cáceres

Marfà

2013

Fertilization management and meteorological conditions can affect leachate composition and the balance of nitrogen (N) added during the cultivation of ornamentals. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the N balance components and to establish relationships between the N concentration in leachates and meteorological variables when different fertilization strategies are used in an outdoor potted crop of Osteospermum ecklonis (DC.) Norl. ‘Purple Red’. Two fertilizations strategies, i.e. continuous fertigation (NS) and incorporated controlled-release fertilizer (CRF), were applied to the crop. The treatments were two NS doses (NO3-N concentration in each NS, NS-A: 154 mg L-1 and NS-B: 112 mg L-1) and two CRF doses (CRF-C: 5.0 g L-1 of substrate and CRF-D: 2.5 g L-1 of substrate). The N loss by leaching was higher in the NS-A treatment than in the other ones (1.1 g pot-1, 11% of total available N). The amount of N accumulated by the plants was higher in the NS treatments than in the CRF treatments (average 2.5 g pot-1, 29.5% of total available N). However the efficiency of use of N was the greatest in the CRF-D treatment (23.9 g dry matter produced g-1 N supplied). About 50% of the total available N was measured in the substrate in all treatments (average 3.8 g pot-1). The concentration of N in the leachates for the two CRF treatments did not correlate with the substrate temperature or precipitation. The N released from the CRF matched the nutritional requirements of the plants better than the N applied by continuous fertigation.

“…Nevertheless, though compost has been used as media constituent for cutting propagation (Guérin et al, 2001;Iglesias-Díaz et al, 2009;Li et al, 2009) vermicompost has not been yet used for this purpose.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compost versus vermicompost as substrate constituents for rooting shrub cuttings

Fornés

Mendoza‐Hernández

Belda

2013

The feasibility of composted (C), composted plus vermicomposted (V1) and straight vermicomposted (V2) tomato crop waste as component of rooting media for Euonymus japonicus ‘Microphylla’ and Lavandula angustifolia vegetative propagation was studied. Mixes of C, V1 and V2 with coir fibre (CF) at the proportions 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100 (v:v) were assayed. Physical, physico chemical and nutritional characteristics of all materials and mixes were determined and correlated with cutting rooting and growth performances. The compost and the two vermicomposts were markedly different from CF. They had higher bulk density and lower total porosity than CF. Compost had lower water holding capacity and shrinkage in response to drying than vermicomposts and CF. Compost and vermicomposts were alkaline materials whilst CF was almost neutral. Electrical conductivity (EC) was low in CF and vermicomposts, and high in compost due to the high mineral contents, mainly of K+, SO42– and Na+ in this material. EC and the ions contributing to it (K+, SO42–, Na+) showed highly significative inverse correlations with rooting percentage for the two species and with root and shoot growth but only for E. japonicus. Due to its high EC, compost C (average rooting = 22.5%) performed worse than vermicomposts V1 (av. rooting = 97%) and V2 (av. rooting = 98%) whilst the latter performed similarly to CF control (av. rooting = 100%). Thus vermicomposts appeared to be more appropriate than compost as rooting media constituent.