Abstract
Pine ( Pinus sp.) wood products have potential to immobilize fertilizer nitrogen (N) and influence plant growth when used in soilless substrates for the production of containerized floriculture crops. Peat substrate was amended with (by volume) 30% pine wood fiber (peat:fiber) during a production phase with fertigation and a simulated consumer retail phase with clear-water irrigation using container-grown ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ petunia ( Petunia × hybrida ). The objective was to evaluate substrate effects on substrate and plant tissue nutrient level and plant growth, with an emphasis on evaluating N immobilization from wood product amendments. Substrates consisting of peat amended with hammer-milled pine wood (peat:wood) or coconut ( Cocos nucifera ) coir (peat:coir) were used for comparison, and a 100% peat substrate (peat) served as a control. In Expt. 1, amending peat with pine wood fiber had no effect on leaf SPAD chlorophyll index, shoot growth, plant height and width, substrate N, or percent shoot tissue N at the end-of-production. In Expt. 2, plants grown in peat:fiber had reduced flower number, plant height and width, and shoot growth compared with plants grown in the 100% peat control. However, petunia grown in peat:fiber substrates maintained dark-green foliage with high leaf SPAD chlorophyll index values (≥44.4) and ≥45 flowers/plant, and therefore were considered marketable plants. During the production phase in both Expts. 1 and 2, N concentrations remained within the target range for petunia in both the shoot tissue and root-zone for all substrates. In addition, there was no statistical evidence of N immobilization for any substrate blend for either of the N drawdown procedures. In both Expts. 1 and 2, root-zone nutrients became depleted during the consumer phase when irrigation was with clear water (no fertilizer), and petunia developed uniform symptoms of leaf chlorosis and N deficiency. Results of this study indicate that peat amended with 30% pine wood fiber, hammer-milled pine wood, and coconut can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer program. However, increasing pine wood to >30% of the substrate volume may require growers to increase fertilization and adjust irrigation practices to compensate for greater risk of N immobilization and changes in substrate physical properties.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by-nc-nd. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
In Experiment 1, peat with pine wood fiber had no effect on leaf SPAD index, shoot growth, plant dimensions, substrate nitrogen or shoot tissue nitrogen at the end of production.
- Treatment
- amending peat with pine wood fibere0
- Outcome
- leaf SPAD chlorophyll index, shoot growth, plant height and width, substrate N, or percent shoot tissue Ne0
- Direction
- no effecte0
- Qualifier
- In Expt. 1e0
_flowers_in_Westgate_Gardens%2C_Canterbury.jpg?width=60){kind=small}
PetuniaNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_flowers_in_Westgate_Gardens%2C_Canterbury.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“In Expt. 1, amending peat with pine wood fiber had no effect on leaf SPAD chlorophyll index, shoot growth, plant height and width, substrate N, or percent shoot tissue N at the end-of-production.”
Claim · model-written summary
In Experiment 2, peat with fiber reduced flower number, plant dimensions and shoot growth versus pure peat.
- Treatment
- peat:fibere0
- Outcome
- flower number, plant height and width, and shoot growthe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- In Expt. 2e0
- Comparator
- 100% peat controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“In Expt. 2, plants grown in peat:fiber had reduced flower number, plant height and width, and shoot growth compared with plants grown in the 100% peat control.”
Claim · model-written summary
Petunia in peat with fiber retained dark-green foliage with leaf SPAD index at least 44.4.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“petunia grown in peat:fiber substrates maintained dark-green foliage with high leaf SPAD chlorophyll index values (≥44.4)”
Claim · model-written summary
Petunia in peat with fiber retained at least 45 flowers per plant.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“petunia grown in peat:fiber substrates maintained dark-green foliage with high leaf SPAD chlorophyll index values (≥44.4) and ≥45 flowers/plant”
Claim · model-written summary
Petunia grown in peat with fiber was considered marketable.
- Outcome
- marketable plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“therefore were considered marketable plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Production-phase shoot and root-zone nitrogen concentrations stayed within the petunia target range for all substrates in both experiments.
- Organ / stage
- shoot tissue and root-zonee0
- Outcome
- N concentrations remained within the target rangee0
- Qualifier
- all substratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“During the production phase in both Expts. 1 and 2, N concentrations remained within the target range for petunia in both the shoot tissue and root-zone for all substrates.”
Claim · model-written summary
Neither nitrogen drawdown procedure found statistical evidence of nitrogen immobilization for any substrate blend.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“there was no statistical evidence of N immobilization for any substrate blend for either of the N drawdown procedures.”
Claim · model-written summary
Root-zone nutrients were depleted during the clear-water consumer phase in both experiments.
- Treatment
- irrigation was with clear water (no fertilizer)e0
- Outcome
- root-zone nutrientse0
- Direction
- depletede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“In both Expts. 1 and 2, root-zone nutrients became depleted during the consumer phase when irrigation was with clear water (no fertilizer)”
Claim · model-written summary
Petunia developed uniform chlorosis and nitrogen deficiency during the clear-water consumer phase.
- Outcome
- uniform symptoms of leaf chlorosis and N deficiencye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“petunia developed uniform symptoms of leaf chlorosis and N deficiency.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that peat amended with 30% pine wood fiber can produce containerized petunia with little growth effect or fertilizer adjustment.
- Treatment
- peat amended with 30% pine wood fibere0
- Outcome
- can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer programe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“peat amended with 30% pine wood fiber, hammer-milled pine wood, and coconut can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer program.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that hammer-milled pine wood can be used to produce containerized petunia with little growth effect or fertilizer adjustment.
- Treatment
- hammer-milled pine woode0
- Outcome
- can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer programe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“peat amended with 30% pine wood fiber, hammer-milled pine wood, and coconut can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer program.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that coconut can be used to produce containerized petunia with little growth effect or fertilizer adjustment.
- Treatment
- coconute0
- Outcome
- can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer programe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“peat amended with 30% pine wood fiber, hammer-milled pine wood, and coconut can be used for production of containerized petunia with minimal effects on plant growth or need to adjust the fertilizer program.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors caution that more than 30% pine wood may require greater fertilization and irrigation adjustment.
- Treatment
- increasing pine wood to >30% of the substrate volumee0
- Outcome
- increase fertilization and adjust irrigation practicese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“petunia ( Petunia × hybrida )”
e0“increasing pine wood to >30% of the substrate volume may require growers to increase fertilization and adjust irrigation practices to compensate for greater risk of N immobilization and changes in substrate physical properties.”
The same questions in other papers
growing medium · physiology: pigments · Petunia (petunia)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- negative
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →fertilization · nutrient: content · Petunia (petunia)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →growing medium · growth · Petunia (petunia)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.