The goal of sustainable production is to reduce environmental degradation, to maintain agricultural productivity, to promote economic viability, as well as to reduce energy losses. Bedding plant sector is an important part of the nursery industry. Improving cultivation practices that increase the performance of potted ornamentals may become a promising and effectively sustainable strategy to be adopted in ornamental nursery. Among the important group of plant biostimulants soil activator complexes obtained by combination of macroalgae, zeolites, humic acids and soil bacteria improves the chemical-physical and microbiological properties of the substrate. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a granular soil activator (Agrosil® Turf Algin) alone or in combination with two commercial controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) on growth, ornamental quality, leaf gas exchanges as well as mineral composition of two bedding plants: Begonia semperflorens and Salvia splendens. The plant growth parameters and the ornamental quality recorded in Agrosil-treated bedding plants were species-dependent, and were also affected by CRF type. Our results also demonstrated that the activator application enhanced several growth performance and quality parameters of the two selected bedding plants: plant height, canopy volume, leaf area and colorimetry, number of flowers in both species. The increased crop performance recorded in both species in the treatment B+A could be attributed to an increase in photosynthetic activity as well as to a better nutritional status (higher N, P, and K).

Controlled-release fertilizer type and granulated soil activator combination modulate growth and ornamental quality of two bedding plants / Cirillo, C.; Rouphael, Y.; El-Nakhel, C.; Pannico, A.; De Pascale, S.. - In: ACTA HORTICULTURAE. - ISSN 0567-7572. - 1271:(2020), pp. 371-378. [10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1271.51]

Controlled-release fertilizer type and granulated soil activator combination modulate growth and ornamental quality of two bedding plants.

Cirillo C.;Rouphael Y.;Pannico A.;De Pascale S.;El-Nakhel C.
2020

Abstract

The goal of sustainable production is to reduce environmental degradation, to maintain agricultural productivity, to promote economic viability, as well as to reduce energy losses. Bedding plant sector is an important part of the nursery industry. Improving cultivation practices that increase the performance of potted ornamentals may become a promising and effectively sustainable strategy to be adopted in ornamental nursery. Among the important group of plant biostimulants soil activator complexes obtained by combination of macroalgae, zeolites, humic acids and soil bacteria improves the chemical-physical and microbiological properties of the substrate. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a granular soil activator (Agrosil® Turf Algin) alone or in combination with two commercial controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) on growth, ornamental quality, leaf gas exchanges as well as mineral composition of two bedding plants: Begonia semperflorens and Salvia splendens. The plant growth parameters and the ornamental quality recorded in Agrosil-treated bedding plants were species-dependent, and were also affected by CRF type. Our results also demonstrated that the activator application enhanced several growth performance and quality parameters of the two selected bedding plants: plant height, canopy volume, leaf area and colorimetry, number of flowers in both species. The increased crop performance recorded in both species in the treatment B+A could be attributed to an increase in photosynthetic activity as well as to a better nutritional status (higher N, P, and K).
2020
Controlled-release fertilizer type and granulated soil activator combination modulate growth and ornamental quality of two bedding plants / Cirillo, C.; Rouphael, Y.; El-Nakhel, C.; Pannico, A.; De Pascale, S.. - In: ACTA HORTICULTURAE. - ISSN 0567-7572. - 1271:(2020), pp. 371-378. [10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1271.51]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/801036
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