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statistically significant ( P ≥ 0.05). The Ch+Ca treatment had the lowest values, whereas SA followed by Ch treatments showed the highest values ( Table 2 ). The improvements in physical properties of SA- and Ch-treated fruits may be attributed to the role of
Low water retention in hanging baskets is a constraint in urban floriculture and hydrogel addition is an alternative. However, growth may be reduced with such a product depending on the substrate used. This study was conducted to determine the combined effects of substrate and type of hydrogel on the growth of Surfinia plants produced in hanging baskets. During Spring 1998, three rooted cuttings of Surfinia (Petunia × hybrida `Brilliant Pink') were transplanted into 30-cm hanging baskets. Plants were transplanted into one of the following substrates: 1) Pro-Mix BX, 2) a blend of 4/5 Pro-Mix BX and 1/5 compost, or 3) 1/3 perlite 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 compost (v/v). These three substrates were amended with two types of hydrogels. The first type, Soil Moist, is an acrylic-acrylamide copolymer and the second type is Aqua-Mend, an acrylic polymer. Plants were grown for 8 weeks under standard irrigation and fertilization practices. Plant growth characteristics, percent dry weight, mineral nutrition, and growth index were determined. Substrate physical properties such as available water content, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and total porosity were measured. The dry weight and growth index of plants in Pro-Mix BX amended with both types of hydrogels were greater than those plants growing in Pro-Mix BX without hydrogel. Plants growing in substrates 2 and 3 with hydrogels were smaller or similar respectively than those plants growing in substrates without hydrogel. Their effects on physical properties of substrates and plant growth will be discussed.
Three foliage plants, Dracaena fragrans, Peperomia obtusifolia and Schefflera arboricola were grown in 24 different mixes. Potting mixes were formulated using yard waste compost from two sources, a commercial mix (Metro 300) and a prepared mix (peat: pine bark sand). All potting mixes produced acceptable plants with no phytotoxicity associated with any mix. Only minor differences were discerned in the growth rate of P. obtusifolia and S. arboricola.
The growth rate of D. fragrans showed the greatest response to potting mix formulations. Plants in a standard potting mix (P/PB/S) used in the industry for D. fragrans grew slower than plants in many of the mixes containing various fractions of yard waste compost. Chemical and physical properties of the potting mixes used showed physical properties had the greatest variability. Overall, the best growth for all 3 plants was in a potting mix composed of 87.5% Metro 300/12. 5% YWC#1 and worst growth was in YWC#2 (100% composted (live oak leaves).
Textile fiber residues spun into small (2 to 5 mm), soft pellets (Flocagro®), through a patented process, were evaluated for horticultural use. Pellets alone and in mixtures with other substrates, were assessed using standard criteria including cation exchange capacity (CEC), aeration porosity, bulk density, and water-holding capacity. The physical and chemical properties of these textile pellets were acceptable as a horticultural growing medium when mixed with substrates such as peat; it was light-weight, had a high water-holding capacity, moderately high aeration porosity, neutral pH, low inherent fertility, low buffering capacity, and mixed easily with other substrates. The potential of Flocagro® in potting mixtures for radish and tomato seedlings and micropropagated potato plantlets was demonstrated.
Purple nutsedge can easily penetrate polyethylene mulch films. However, there are no reports on possible differences among mulch films. Because of this situation, field trials were conducted in Ruskin and Bradenton, Fla., during 2002 and 2003. In Spring 2002, the treatments were a) no mulch, b) black Pliant High Barrier mulch, and c) green Klerk's Virtually Impermeable Film (VIF). In Spring 2002, the films were a) black Pliant High Barrier, b) black IPM Bromostop, c) metallized Pliant, and d) green Klerk's VIF. The number of nutsedge emerged through the films was determined. No fumigants or herbicides were applied. Results indicated that the Klerk's VIF had the lowest nutsedge densities. No nutsedge control differences were found between the IPM Bromostop and the metallized Pliant films. These differences might be due to the physical properties of the films, including stretching and thickness.
WetEarth, a processed recycled newspaper product, was used in combination with pine bark, sand, and vermiculite as a growing medium for rose of Sharon and forsythia. Rose of Sharon was taller and had more leaves; more leaf area per plant; and greater leaf, stem, and root dry weights in all media containing recycled paper compared to plants grown in a medium consisting of 3 pine bark: 1 peat moss: 1 sand (by volume) (control). Forsythia grown in the control media were taller than those grown in any medium containing recycled newspaper. There was no difference in number of leaves per plant or leaf area of forsythia, regardless of growing medium. Physical and chemical properties of each medium also were investigated. All media containing recycled newspaper had a higher pH, porosity, and air space than the control medium.
Applicability of processed fiber (methane digested cow manure) as a substitute for peatmoss for production of various containerized perennial woody plant species with various fertilization and fumigation practices was investigated in this study. Liner plants of five species and rooted cuttings of 41 species were potted in various media containing processed fiber as the replacement of peatmoss with or without fertilization and fumigation, with commercial mix as control. Plants varied in their responses to the media, fertilization, and/or fumigation. Most plant species performed well in the media containing processed fiber. The physical and chemical properties of processed fiber, either alone or mixed with other media components, were satisfactory for producing woody perennial species even with less fertilization and no fumigation.
Twenty commercial tomato production systems were compared in a multidisciplinary on farm study. The aim was to determine if organic (ORG) and conventional (CNV) systems differed in terms of agronomic criteria or indicators of underlying ecological characteristics. Field level measures of inputs, yields, fruit quality, arthropod abundance and management operations were made. Also, multiple samples within each field were taken to measure soil chemical and physical properties, root pathogen populations, disease incidence, and pest damage levels for multivariate analysis. Management effects on agronomic criteria (yield, fruit quality, pest damage) were small, whereas differences in soil N pools, microbial activity, pathogen populations and arthropod communities between ORG and CNV sites were sufficiently robust to be distinguished from site to site variation. Relationships between management, crop productivity and fruit quality will be discussed.
Rice hulls, a by-product of the rice milling process, were used at various rates to substitute sphagnum peat moss in greenhouse media. Previous studies demonstrated that media containing rice hulls replacing the vermiculite fraction grew plants equal to or better than traditional peat vermiculite blends. The objective of this study was to determine if rice hulls can replace sphagnum peat moss in a greenhouse medium. Physical properties, including bulk density, total pore space, and water retention were determined in media blended with fresh or aged rice hulls, sphagnum peat moss, and vermiculite. The bulk density of the media increased with increasing levels of fresh rice hulls. The pore space in media containing both fresh and aged rice hulls decreased over time during the crop production cycle and the pH increased.
Plantain (Musa parasidiaca), a staple among estimated 70 million Africans and popular item in the tropics is emerging as specialty ethnic food product in developed countries. It is suitable as menu item for food service particularly in the ripe form when deep oil fried. The perishability of the fruit is a major constraint to wide spread use and distribution. To expand the utilization base in the food service industry, microwave heating process was applied to tempering and cooking of frozen pre-fried slices. The purpose of this is to determine the effect of the process on warmed over properties and acceptability of fried plantain. Large surface area and spherical shape were critical physical factors in the heating thus providing good quality product from taste, texture and appearance standpoint