Ways to Optimize Nutrient Delivery in Garden Mums
Photo: COHA
The ever-increasing cost of fertilizer inputs is just one reason why greenhouse growers have found it necessary to take a closer look at their application rates and practices. Growers have also come under additional scrutiny as the possible source of contamination when unacceptable levels of pollutants have been found in nearby streams and ponds. Just as critical, therefore, has been the need to meet increasingly stringent regulations set by environmental agencies to control the quality of irrigation run-off water.
As a result, researchers are now looking to answer the seemingly simple question of “how low can you go,” as part of the solution to both dilemmas which currently face the floriculture greenhouse grower.
A research project currently underway by the University of Guelph’s Dr. Barry Shelp, “Optimizing nutrient delivery in greenhouse-grown potted chrysanthemums: Sub-irrigation and drip irrigation systems,” tests the hypothesis that nutrient use can be vastly improved by strategically manipulating the timing of nutrient delivery to the plant. This project is part of the “Accelerating Green Plant Innovation for Environmental and Economic Benefit” Cluster and is funded by the Canadian Ornamental Horticultural Alliance (COHA-ACHO), private sector companies, and the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative Dr. Shelp’s current project is specifically focused on testing the improved delivery of micro-nutrients to both drip irrigated and sub-irrigated chrysanthemums.
The current project is a continuation of Shelp’s previous research project under the Growing Forward 2 (2013-2018) Cluster program, which demonstrated the successful reduction of macronutrient use. In that project, Dr. Shelp was able to verify that the supply of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and potassium could be reduced by as much as 75% to 87.5% compared to current industry standards, without any adverse impacts to crop yield or quality.
The overall premise of his current research, says Dr. Shelp, to test the limits of lowering fertilizer inputs seems very simple. However, far more complex is the understanding of plant physiology and using a plant’s inherent capacity and attributes to inform the decision-making processes about fertilizer application which has shaped the foundation of his hypothesis.
Continue reading more from the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
