Minimizing Irrigation and Fertilization in Greenhouse-grown Flowering Vinca
Subject:
HortScience
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to determine which combination of three types of irrigation systems, three fertilization method, and four growing media produced optimum growth of flowering vinca, Catharanthus roseus. Irrigation systems used included ebb-and-flood , drip, and pulse; fertilization methods included slow release, prepackaged, and custom mixed; and the four growing media were peatmoss:perlite:vermiculite(1:1:1, byvolume), peatmoss:rockwool (1:1, byvol ume), and 0.6-cm diameter shredded rubber or fabric from waste tires:vermiculite:peatmoss (1:1:2, byvolume). Four replications of five plants each were used in each of the 36 treatment combinations. Plants were potted 29and 30 May 1996 in 10-cm containers, grown for 10weeks, and harvested 6Aug. 1996. The drip-irrigated benches were irrigated once per day for 15s. Pulseirrigated benches were watered twice per day for 6s.This resulted in the dripand pulse-irrigated plants receiving a similar volume of water daily. Ebb-andflood benches were filled once per day with drainage occurring 15min after filling. Ending plant heights and dry weights indicated that those plants in the pre packaged fertilizer/drip orebb-and-flood irrigation/shredded tire fiber growing medium were comparable to plants grown in the peat moss:rockwool medium with the same fertilizer and irrigation methods.
Keywords: Catharanthus roseus Irrigation systems Ebb-and-flood
Libraries: Floriculture