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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #179648
Title: MONITORING WATER USE, NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, DRAINAGE AND LEACHATE IN POT-IN-POT NURSERY CONTAINER PRODUCTION

Author
item Zhu, Heping
item Krause, Charles
item ZONDAG, RANDALL - OSU EXTENSION

Submitted to: Agricultural Engineering International Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2005
Publication Date: 9/30/2005
Citation: Zhu, H., Krause, C.R., Zondag, R. 2005. Monitoring water use, nutrient management, drainage and leachate in pot-in-pot nursery container production. In: 9th International Congress on Mechanization and Energy in Agriculture and 27th International Conference of CIGR, September 27-29, 2005, Izmir-Turkey. p. 264-269.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experimental system to examine water and fertilizer application in pot-in-pot nursery container production was established in a commercial nursery field. The system mainly consisted of three plots containing 50 trees planted in 50 pot-in-pot containers and irrigated with micro spray stakes, drainage water measurements devices, container-substrate moisture probes, thermocouples, a weather station and data loggers. Content level of nitrate nitrogen, phosphate and potassium in drainage water was determined by a liquid Ion chromatography analyzer and a Simultaneous ICP analyzer. The system provided a method to monitor not only the use of water and nutrients, drainage water quality, tree growth and substrate temperature and moisture content, but also monitor level and timing of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium loss through drainage to optimize fertility management practices, and protect water resources by aiding decisions whether drainage water should be recycled or released from the nursery.