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Title: Hydrogen peroxide as a greenhouse soil amendment

Author
item Webber Iii, Charles
item WEBBER, CHARLES - Retired Non ARS Employee
item SANDTNER, STEVEN - Retired Non ARS Employee

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2009
Publication Date: 10/15/2009
Citation: Webber III, C.L., Webber, C.L., Sandtner, S. 2009. Hydrogen peroxide as a greenhouse soil amendment [abstract]. Third National Conference on Agriculture & Natural Resources Conservation & Management, October 15-18, 2009, Dover, Deleware. p. 29.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There are anecdotal reports that hydrogen peroxide provides growth benefits beyond controlling plant infection and plant stress. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of soil applications of hydrogen peroxide solutions on plant growth and flowering. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.) cv. 'Scarlet Glean Improved' seedlings in pots were irrigated with either distilled water, tap water, or hydrogen peroxide solutions. The hydrogen peroxide treatments included 0.005% H2O2 (1X), 0.05% H2O2 (10X), and 0.1% H2O2 (20X), which are equivalent to 1.3, 13, and 26 tsp/gal of 3% hydrogen peroxide. The foliage and root fresh and dry weights harvested at 22 days after initiating treatment (DAIT) and the fresh weights at 33 DAIT were not significantly different as a result of hydrogen peroxide concentration. Concentrations did significantly impact the foliage, root, and total dry weights at 33 DAIT. The 1X concentration produced significantly greater amounts of nasturtium foliage and total plant dry weights at 33 DAIT compared to the 10X concentration, but it was not significantly different from the distilled and tap water applications. Root dry weights for plants treated with the 20X solution were significantly greater than all other treatments except the 1X concentration. The 1X concentration produced significantly greater total number of flowers than either the 10X or 20X concentrations and 64 and 57% greater number of flowers than the distilled and tap water treatments. The results indicate that application of hydrogen peroxide at rates of 1.3 to 26 tsp/gal to nasturtiums did not provide a significant benefit to nasturtium plant growth and flowering.