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- Author or Editor: Nicolas Tremblay x
Processing plants requires that cultivars be categorized as either small, medium, or large peas to meet the different markets. A reliable nutrient diagnosis system based on sweet pea leaf analysis should be robust to the type of cultivar. The objective of this study was to determine whether the type of cultivar should be taken into account in producing the nutrient diagnosis. Proportions of peas in categories 1 (small) to 5 (large) were determined for 18 cultivars produced under commercial conditions over 3 years. Cluster analysis was conducted with the constraint of revealing three groups, as homogeneous as possible with regard to their proportions in the different categories. Three cultivars were identified as belonging to the small, nine to the medium, and six to the large group. The archetype of each group was characterized. The function discriminated among the cultivars perfectly along the canonical axes. However, no classification was possible when the nutrient composition variables (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B, Fe, Mn, Zn) were used for discriminating cultivars' types. Hence, sweet pea cultivars of different types do not differ substantially in leaf composition.
As plant color is often modified by nutrient status, the use of spectoradiometric properties of leaf tissues appears to be a promising tool for quick and inexpensive diagnosis of crop fertility problems. This study was conducted to examine spectral variability associated with celery cultivars. Seedlings of Florida 683, Matador, Utah 5270, and Ventura were grown in a growth chamber for 10 weeks (transplant stage; TS). Reflectance and transmittance measurements were taken on the tallest leaf with a LI-COR LI-1800 spectroradiometer. Remaining seedlings were potted and transferred to a greenhouse for another 8 weeks (mid-growth stage; MS). Transmittance was established as the parameter most suitable to distinguish cultivars. Maximum F ratio was obtained at λ = 630 mn at TS, while there were two peeks (λ = 470 and 60 mn) at MS. A discriminant function was based on λ = 470; 630 and 670 mn correctly classified cultivars more than 8 times out of 10 at TS, and more than 7 times out of 10 at MS. Further studies should focus on the induction of nutrient deficiencies and the potential interferences of cultivars with their diagnosis.
Weather is the primary driver of both plant growth and soil conditions. As a consequence of unpredictable weather effects on crop requirements, more inputs are being applied as an insurance policy. Best management practices (BMPs) are therefore about using minimal input for maximal return in a context of unpredictable weather events. This paper proposes a set of complementary actions and tools as BMP for nitrogen (N) fertilization of vegetable crops: 1) planning from an N budget, 2) reference plot establishment, and 3) crop sensing prior to in-season N application based on a saturation index related to N requirement.
Since they grow nearly exponentially, plants in their juvenile phase can benefit more than mature ones of optimal growing conditions. Transplant production in greenhouses offers the opportunity to optimize growing factors in order to reduce production time and improve transplant quality. Carbon dioxide and light are the two driving forces of photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide concentration can be enriched in the greenhouse atmosphere, leading to heavier transplants with thicker leaves and reduced transpiration rates. Supplementary lighting is often considered as more effective than CO2 enrichment for transplant production. It can be used not only to speed up growth and produce higher quality plants, but also to help in production planning. However, residual effects on transplant field yield of CO2 enrichment or supplementary lighting are absent or, at the best, inconsistent.
This experiment was initiated to determine the effects of supplementary lighting of 100 μmol·s-1·m-2 (PAR) in combination with four N rates (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg N/liter) on growth of celery (Apium graveolens L.), lettuce (Luctuca sativa L.), broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica L.), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) transplants in multicellular trays. Supplementary lighting, as compared with natural light alone, increased shoot dry weight of celery, lettuce, broccoli, and tomato transplants by 22%, 40%, 19%, and 24%, and root dry weight by 97%, 42%, 38%, and 21%, respectively. It also increased the percentage of shoot dry matter of broccoli and tomato, leaf area of lettuce and broccoli, and root: shoot dry weight ratio (RSDWR) of celery and broccoli. Compared with 100 mg N/liter, a N rate of 400 mg·liter-1 increased the shoot dry weight of celery, lettuce, broccoli, and tomato transplants by 37%, 38%, 61%, and 38%, respectively. High N fertilization accelerated shoot growth at the expense of root growth, except for tomato where a 16% increase of root dry weight was observed. High N also reduced percentage of shoot dry matter. Supplementary lighting appears to be a promising technique when used in combination with high N rates to improve the production of high quality transplants, particularly those sown early.
Transplants of celery (Apium graveolens L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica L.), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown in multicellular trays under natural light or with supplementary lighting of 100 μmol·s-1·m-2 (PAR) in factorial combination with four rates of N fertilization (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg•liter-1) were tested for productivity under field conditions. Celery was seeded once, lettuce twice, and broccoli and tomato three times. Broccoli and tomato were transplanted at two sites, celery and lettuce at one. Supplementary lighting had no effect on yields of celery, lettuce, and broccoli, but significantly increased yields of early seeded tomato. High rates of N fertilization (300 and 400 mg·liter-1) applied at the transplant stage improved yields for all the species.
Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is a tall biennial grown for its root-bound active ingredients. A research was conducted to adapt conventional angelica production methods to organic principles and nordic growing conditions. Seeds should be stratified for 7 to 8 weeks before sowing and transplant production done in multicellular trays filled with compost-peat media and supplemented with organic soluble fertilization. A sequential sampling program was conducted to better-understand the dry matter and active ingredients accumulation patterns over the growing seasons. In light of these results, the recommended production schedule consists of a fall planting and a harvest the following fall. In this manner, both dry matter yield and active ingredient concentration in the root are improved. Root yields increase linearly with planting densities up to 111,111 plants/ha. After 5 years of research, most of the limiting factors have been studied and the problems solved. Our research clearly shows how much yield, quality, and profitability of a newly introduced crop can be improved when a comprehensive research program is implemented.
Transplants of angelica (Angelica archangelica L.), horehound (Marrubium vulgare L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) were grown in multicompartment trays with five proportions of compost (0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%) mixed to peatmoss and perlite. Plants were fertilized with different electrical conductivity (EC) levels of the nutrient solution (0, 1, and 2 mmho/cm). Horehound and thyme plants were transplanted in the field to measure the residual effects of treatments on dry matter yields and level of active substances. The three medicinal plants showed increased shoot and root dry weights as well as leaf mineral content (some nutrients) when proportion of compost and EC of nutrient solution were higher. The optimal combinations of compost and fertilization treatments on plants growth varied between species. Residual effects of treatments applied in greenhouse on shoot dry matter weight of horehound and thyme plants were observed until the 9th and 12th week, respectively, after transplantation. Treatments also affected active substance levels in horehound plants in field. Organic fertilization management influenced growth, yield in the field and level of certain active substances of the harvested parts of medicinal plants.
Celery (Apium graveolens var. Dulce) is a species particularly sensitive to nutritional balance. Seedlings in multicellular trays sometimes present problems that can be traced to nutritional causes. DRIS (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System) and CND (Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis) are two recent concepts that can be implemented to diagnose nutritional imbalances from tissue analyses of any plant species. A data bank of 215 observations was used to elaborate DRIS and CND norms for celery transplants. The threshold yield for high yielders was set at 1600 g/plant (27% of the population). Both DRIS and CND systems were implemented and a validation process was undertaken. Nutrient deficiencies (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, B and Zn) were induced on celery seedlings in growing chambers. Tissues samples were given a balanced fertilization. The diagnosing methods (DRIS and CND) were compared on the basis of their ability to identify correctly the induced nutrient deficiencies.
The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of CO, enrichment (900 μl·liter-1, 8 hours/day) in combination with supplementary lighting of 100 μmol·s-1·m-2(16-h photoperiod) on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedling growth in the greenhouse and subsequent yield in the field. Enrichment with CO2 and supplementary lighting for ≈ 3 weeks before transplanting increased accumulation of dry matter in shoots by ≈ 50% compared with the control, while root dry weight increased 49% for tomato and 6270 for pepper. Early yields increased by =1570 and 11% for tomato and pepper, respectively.