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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #156615
Title: DETERMINATION OF WATER QUALITY, WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND WATER RUNOFF IN POT-IN-POT NURSERIES

Author
item Krause, Charles
item Zhu, Heping
item ZONDAG, RANDALL - OSU EXTENSION
item Shipitalo, Martin
item Williams, Keith
item Brazee, Ross
item Derksen, Richard
item Reding, Michael - Mike
item DEMALINE, TOM - PRES. WILLOWAY NURSERY

Submitted to: Extension Publications
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2003
Publication Date: 1/20/2004
Citation: Krause, C.R., Zhu, H., Zondag, R., Shipitalo, M.J., Williams, K.A., Brazee, R.D., Derksen, R.C., Reding, M.E., Demaline, T. 2004. Determination of water quality, water use efficiency and water runoff in pot-in-pot nurseries. Extension Publications. 193:78-83.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In nursery production, the application of pot-in-pot systems has been expanded rapidly during the last decade. The advantages of using pot-in-pot system are that it can moderate root temperature, improve root quality, and reduce intensive harvesting labor cost. However, there have been concerns over water use efficiency and the extent of nutrient and chemical leaching from irrigation and rainfall to the soil and ground water. An experimental system to examine water quality, irrigation efficiency and water runoff was established in a nursery plot in 2003. The system mainly consisted of a plot containing 50 trees planted in 50 pot-in-pot containers and irrigated with micro spray emitters; 10 water runoff collection devices; 10 soil moisture sensors; 10 thermocouples; a weather station and a data logger. Factors examined in this study were: total amounts of irrigation, rainfall and leachate from the plot; start and stop times for leaching; soil moisture content; soil temperature; and chemical residue levels, precipitation and other weather conditions. Preliminary test results indicated that the amount of water runoff varied with irrigation rate, tree sizes, and potting soil density. The amount of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) leached in water runoff was higher than the expectation.