The ornamental production industry utilizes either controlled greenhouse or open-air nursery production systems. Both rely upon the use of soilless substrates, with regular application of water and mineral nutrients, to maintain profitability and quality crop growth and development. However, the leading base substrates components used, peat moss and bark, present sustainability concerns for producers. Peat moss sustainability concerns surround harvest, supply, and cost (environmental, social, and economic; three tiers of sustainability) of the material. Pine bark sustainability in production is due to inefficiency in water and mineral nutrient retention (environmental, social, and economic). Nevertheless, a solution to help improve the sustainability of both substrates across the greenhouse and nursery industry has developed. Soilless substrate stratification is a practical management strategy that entails layering two unique substrates, either derived from the same substrate or different substrates, atop one another in the container. Stratifying substrates has been shown to reduce peat use and reliance in the greenhouse industry by upwards of 50%. Moreover, stratifying substrates can reduce irrigation and fertilizer applications by 25- and 20%, respectively. To date, stratified substrate research has utilized an even 50:50 stratified depth layer partition. As growers adopt this technique, more understanding of the balance and opportunities is needed. Thus, a series of experiments was developed to explore varying ratios of stratification. In two experiments, popular greenhouse (Petnas) and nursery (Rosa) crops were grown in different stratified depth layer ratios with peat-based (greenhouse) and bark-based (nursery) systems. Ratios included a non-stratified treatment (100% filled), a 75:25 percent by vol. layer partition, a 50:50, and a 25:75. In the greenhouse experiment, peatlite mix was layered over unscreened bark and irrigation was lysimeter-actuated. In the nursery experiment, fine bark particles were layered over coarse particles. Moreover, different fertilizer rates were applied (low, medium, high). The results showed in the greenhouse study, a Pentas crop can be grown with equal growth (and similar quantities of water) as traditional greenhouse crop when ≥50% peatlite is used by vol. In the nursery experiment, low fertilizer application rates can be used to grow a crop similar to a traditional nursery-grown crop when grown in a stratified system. While there are discrete differences, it primary take away is that stratification does not need to be overly technical to generate impact and improve efficiency; however, there is a limit to the ability to use “filler” material which tends to be about 50% of the volume.
Container nursery production is the fastest-growing sector in the nursery industry. High volumes of runoff containing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from container production result in wasted high-quality fresh water, loss of costly applied fertilizer, and increased risk of nutrient management regulations, especially near receiving waters prone to eutrophication. The authors hypothesize that stratified substrates, in which a fine textured substrate is placed atop a coarse substrate amended with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), can reduce water use and decrease N and P losses while yielding a high-quality container crop. This research was conducted at the Horticulture Teaching and Research Center in Holt, Michigan on three replicate simulated nursery pads per treatment, each having 45 containers consisting of Buddleja x ‘Miss Violet’, Ilex crenata ‘FARROWSK6’, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Seward’, Cornus sericea ‘SMNCSBD’, Cotinus coggygria ‘MINCOJAU3’, Rosa x ‘ChewDelight’. Substrate treatments consisted of an 85:15 (by vol.) pine bark:sphagnum peat uniform profile (Conv), an 85:15 pine bark:sphagnum peat uniform profile fully amended with 3 kg/m3 FeSO4 (Conv Fe), stratified substrate (Strat) in which fine sphagnum peat amended bark substrate was atop a coarse bark substrate, and stratified substrate with the coarse bark layer amended with 3 kg/m3 FeSO4 FeSO4 (Strat Fe). All plants were micro-irrigated with a spray stake. Irrigation water usage, N, and P leaching were quantified and compared. Preliminary results indicate that lower amounts of N leached from Strat (12 mg L-1, p = 0.03) and Strat Fe (13 mg L-1, p = 0.02) compared to Conv (23 mg L-1). Similarly, lower P was found in leachate from Strat (6.33 mg L-1, p = 0.01) and Strat Fe (6.74 mg L-1, p = 0.02) compared to Conv (11.78 mg L-1). These preliminary results, in addition to leaching fraction and growth index, will be discussed in this presentation.
Jim Owens is a USDA-ARS Research Horticulturist located at the Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster, OH. Jim received his B.Sc. in Plant and Soil Science at the University of Kentucky, his M.Sc. in Environmental Science at the University of Rhode Island, and Ph.D. at North... Read More →
Soilless substrates serve an important role in both the sustainability of specialty crop production and supporting healthy containerized root growth. The requirements and tolerance of containerized roots are essentially what dictates the (i) physiochemical limitations of the substrate, (ii) how production practices are managed (i.e., quantity and quality of irrigation / fertilization), and (iii) the performance of high-quality shoot growth and development, emphasizing the importance of both substrates and roots. Nevertheless, most horticultural crop research primarily focuses on shoot growth and dismisses important root growth traits, often only reporting root biomass at study culmination or during destructive harvests. Information regarding how roots grow throughout the substrate matrix is evidently sparse. More research is needed to develop better understandings of spatial and temporal root development, such as root architecture, which describes how (and where) roots invests carbon throughout the 3-Dimentional substrate matrix. Research regarding popular engineered substrate systems, stratified substrates (i.e., layering different media atop each other), has began to dive deeper into how roots grow in time and space, where stratified-grown roots grow differently than traditionally grown (non-stratified) cropping systems. However, no research to date as explored root architecture, temporally or spatially, in stratified systems. The study herein explored root architecture in time and space using clear acrylic-based RhizoBoxes (8-L vol.). Several different types of crops (nursery- hibiscus; greenhouse- basil; representative crop- sunflower) were grown in different non-stratified and stratified substrate systems, including bark- [non-stratified: 100% unscreened bark; stratified- fine bark (< 6.3 mm) layered over coarse bark (> 6.3 mm)] and peat-based [non-stratified: 100% peat-lite (7:3); stratified: peat-lite layered over unscreened bark] substrates. Root growth was traced frequently and analyzed quantitatively for total visible root length and growing angle, and qualitatively for general shape and patterns. The results showed that stratified grown crops, across cropping systems, had a wider root distribution spreading angle, growing wider and more outward than crops grown in non-stratified systems. Moreover, stratified grown crops typically grew in the upper stratified layer longer than crops grown traditionally, growing more sequentially than continuously. In most cases, stratified-grown crops had longer visible roots growing against the acrylic glass in the upper 50% of the profile. Stratified-grown roots were often longer and finer than non-stratified grown crops. In all, this study highlights that stratified grown crops have superior root growth and development and that RhizoBoxes are a useful tool in studying root architecture in soilless substrate systems.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a valuable landscape shrub revered for its prominent white, globe-shaped blooms which can later develop into brilliant red aggregate fruits. This North American native shrub occurs almost exclusively in riparian habitats, typically in standing water in the wild, but it is curiously adaptable to a range of landscape conditions in cultivation. Because this species appears to perform well when grown using average soil-moisture conditions, we questioned where the limits of drought tolerance occur for this riparian-adapted species. The objective of this study was to evaluate USDA-GRIN germplasm of buttonbush to compare unique provenances representing different regions of the native range of the taxon to generate a relative scale of predicted drought tolerance for the species. Utilizing vapor pressure osmometry, this study examined seasonal osmotic adjustment and predicted leaf water potential at the turgor loss point (ᴪpo) among ten Cephalanthus occidentalis populations grown at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. All populations evaluated demonstrated a minor ability to osmotically adjust (Δᴪ𝝿100) throughout the growing season. NA 79917 exhibited the most osmotic adjustment (-0.22 MPa) whereas NA 61271 exhibited the least (-0.08 MPa). Estimated spring ᴪpo and summer ᴪpo across populations was -1.75 MPa and -1.91 MPa, respectively. NA 79705 exhibited the highest ᴪpo in both spring (-1.56 MPa) and summer (-1.68 MPa). NA 82190 exhibited the lowest ᴪpo in spring (-1.92 MPa ), whereas NA 73814 exhibited the lowest in summer (-2.17 MPa). These data indicate that drought tolerance in buttonbush varies across populations, suggesting that this trait can be improved in landscape selections through selective breeding efforts.
John works with winter hardy landscape plants, with a special emphasis on Salix pellita (Satiny Willow). A major interest of John's is looking at the horticultural potential of certain native flora, hoping this could lead to new means of conservation for Minnesota's threatened sp... Read More →
The world is haunted by climate change and global warming, posing critical challenges to plant health and productivity. Hence, it is now imperative to think about ecosystem resilience and conservation. Microbiomes from extreme environments with plant growth-promoting and stress-relieving properties can be used as inoculum for growing plants during stress. Hence, our study aims to explore the root and soil microbiome of native and hardy Shepherdia species available in Utah, USA. The native Shepherdia species, S. rotudifolia was selected for the study. We compared the microbial diversity of S. rotudifolia from three different locations in Utah. The plants' bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root were collected for the study from Torrey, Colorado City, and Cannonville in Utah and brought to the Utah State University, Logan, for further processing. DNA extraction was done from all the samples and sequenced for 16S rRNA region. The bulk soil of roundleaf buffaloberry from Torrey is highest in organic matter, while that from Colorado City is highest in salinity but lowest in NPK and most micro-nutrients. Bulk soil and rhizosphere bacterial alpha diversity differ significantly (p=0.05) among the locations of roundleaf buffaloberry; however, there is no difference in root endosphere alpha diversity among the locations. The bacterial community composition of roundleaf buffaloberry from Torrey is significantly different from the other two locations. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota are the dominant phyla in the bulk soil and rhizosphere of roundleaf buffaloberry from all three locations; however, Actinobacteriota dominates in root in all three locations. The genus composition of bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root of roundleaf buffaloberry is very diverse among the three locations. Frankia, the well-known nitrogen-fixing bacteria, is prevalent in the root samples of S. rotundifolia from Cannonville and has lesser abundance in the other two locations. Fifty-seven bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of the S. rotudifolia on different nutrient media. These isolates are being tested for eight plant growth-promoting traits, such as the production of indole acetic acid, siderophore, catalase, protease, ACC deaminase activity, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and sulfur-oxidizing activity
The plant nursery production industry in Oregon and Tennessee faces escalating challenges from climate change, particularly concerning shade trees like red oak (Quercus rubra) and red maple (Acer rubrum). This research investigated the physiological responses of these species to fluctuations in soil moisture, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and leaf temperature (Tleaf) through field experiments in Oregon's Willamette Valley and Tennessee's nursery regions. Monitoring stomatal conductance (gs) and stem water potential (Ψs) under varied conditions revealed distinct responses between the two species, with red maple exhibiting greater sensitivity to soil moisture and VPD compared to red oak. Additionally, a novel correlation between VPD and maple gas exchange underscores the significance of atmospheric moisture dynamics in plant water management strategies. Furthermore, assessing the impact of abiotic stressors on flatheaded borer (FB) attacks, we found that drought-stressed red maple trees experienced the highest borer infestations. Plant growth was adversely affected by all stressors, with drought stress exhibiting the most detrimental impact. Our findings underscore the complexity of plant responses to climate stress and highlight the necessity of informed water management practices for sustainable nursery production in diverse regional contexts. Bridging knowledge gaps in plant hydraulic physiology can empower growers to adapt to evolving environmental conditions and ensure the resilience of shade tree production systems. Further research is crucial to deepen our understanding of plant hydraulic physiology and its implications amidst climate change-induced challenges.
Lloyd Nackley is a plant ecologist who applies a systems approach to improve nursery and greenhouse management. Nackley's research program at Oregon State University focuses on addressing four challenges facing nursery and greenhouse production in Oregon: irrigation application, pest... Read More →
American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.) is a multipurpose tree endemic to the eastern United States with potential for broader use in managed landscapes or for producing desirable fruits. Whereas most members of this genus originate from tropical and subtropical regions, the American persimmon could expand landscape diversity and fruit production applications in northern climates. Due to purported challenges with transplant success, American persimmon is likely best suited to cultivation in containers. Recent observations of container-nursery crop production indicates American persimmon is susceptible to mouse ear disorder (MED), a function of nickel deficiency. We hypothesized that American and Asian-origin persimmon species are susceptible to MED and that supplementing nickel with a foliar spray will ameliorate the disorder. Our objectives were to characterize symptoms of non-treated MED with American (D. virginiana), Japanese (D. kaki), and dateplum (D. lotus) persimmon as well as to determine if MED could be corrected by foliar application of nickel or other compounds presumed to interact with the urease metabolic pathway, such as urea. In a randomized greenhouse study, seedlings of American, Japanese, and dateplum persimmons were evaluated by comparing a non-treated control (H2O spray), to foliar spray treatments of NickelPlus® (169 ppm), NiCl2 (169 ppm), urea (0.325 g/L), and combined NiCl2 (169 ppm) and urea (0.325g/L). Following treatment, plants were evaluated using a MED severity rating scale, leaf characterization metrics (greenness, count, surface area, dry mass, and specific area), as well as metrics characterizing stem traits (elongation and dry mass). Compared to the non-treated control, leaf surface area increased by ~56%, ~61%, ~25%, and ~52% for the Nickel Plus®, NiCl2, Urea, and combined NiCl2 Urea treatments, respectively, when pooled across species and cultivar. These results suggest nickel supplements are effective at increasing important growth metrics like leaf surface area for Diospyros species displaying MED symptoms. This study offers valuable insights for improving the cultivation of persimmons in container nursery production settings, contributing to the development and advancement of American persimmon as an emerging specialty crop.
