Substrate Innovation Leads to Improved Rooting, Water Uptake
December 14, 2024 
Dr. Vijay Rapaka, PhD., Director of Global Grower Operations and Research at Oasis Grower Solutions
Growing media suppliers are constantly working on the development of new products, places to source them, and what’s most important to the growers using them. In this article, learn more from Vijay Rapaka, PhD., Director of Global Grower Operations and Research at Oasis Grower Solutions – Division of Smithers-Oasis, about what the company is doing to stay on top of market trends.
Developed specifically in response to the needs of precision vegetative propagators, the OASIS RhizoPlug Tray singulated engineered substrate from Oasis Grower Solutions elevates the propagation experience. In trials with loose fill and specialty substrates, such as stabilized and bonded substrates, the RhizoPlug Tray consistently delivered up to 20% faster times to root, extract, and transplant.
With OASIS RhizoPlug Tray, propagators can witness damage-free sticking, faster cutting recovery, profuse root and shoot growth, extremely uniform and consistent young plants, shorter production cycles, cleaner propagation areas, easy and earlier extraction, and vigorous transplant growth.
“The advanced surfactant technology and open cell matrix make the water readily available during one of the most crucial stages of the propagation process. As a result, the cuttings become fully functional to jumpstart the rooting process,” Dr. Rapaka says. “The custom plug and tray design allows seamless integration with the automation process and easy extraction of the plugs.”
Rapaka explains more in this discussion with Brian Sparks, Editor of Greenhouse Grower.
Brian Sparks: As you work with growers in the industry, what are you hearing from them?
Vijay Rapaka: We have several trials that are going on across the country. What we are hearing is an affirmation of what we saw when we were developing the product. Many growers are seeing better shoot growth. We’re seeing a 20% faster transplant time, and the big thing is the cleanliness from start to finish.
One thing to specify is that the water in the foam substrate is readily available. In cut flowers, it can pump the water up the stem very efficiently. What this means is the grower can cut down their misting sooner because the plants are hydrating faster.
Sparks: I’m glad you mentioned that because it’s easy to talk about the benefits to the plant, but there’s also benefits such as less water use, less labor, etc.
Rapaka: You can also look under the benches and see that it’s clean because there are no pest pathogens. You can maintain a very clean environment.
Sparks: As you talk to growers about substrates, what are the pain points that you hear the most about, and how does that extend to the innovations that your company might be working on, based on what the growers are telling you?
Rapaka: The number one issue, regardless of the size of the growing operation, is access to skilled labor. When you are propagating annuals, you’re working in a very limited time frame so you want ready-to-use solutions. The second issue is the consistency of substrates, how you pack the substrate into the trays, and the packing density. That ultimately dictates what type of young plant quality you’re going to get in terms of uniform, consistent propagation within a tray. The third thing we’re hearing is that we rely on offshore cuttings and postharvest quality of young plants. How can you improve the quality of the cuttings once you harvest them, so you get the best quality and minimize pests and diseases? The RhizoPlug addresses a lot of those issues because it’s ready to use and it’s clean.
I have been hearing from both growers and researchers from various universities how fast cuttings can recover once you stick them. When it comes to innovation, we’re working on new surfactant technologies to help recover these cuttings faster. This could also help mitigate some of these challenges that we are having with high temperatures and weather fluctuations due to climate change.
Sparks: When you look at the substrate market as a whole, how do you see it evolving? What are some of the trends dictating the direction of the market going forward?
Rapaka: There’s a lot of new things happening in substrates. People are very conscious about carbon footprint and sustainability. It started with looking around for alternatives to peat, but now people started looking at it with more of a holistic approach rather than just an alternative to peat. What can we use that lowers our carbon footprint, what is locally available, and what is something that is reliable and consistent. For that reason, we are seeing a lot of substrates related to new fibers coming into the market. Coco was dominating, but if you look at the carbon miles you put on bringing coco from Asia, a lot of people are looking at local availability.
There’s also a lot of research that is happening in terms of stratification. At Smithers-Oasis, we’re constantly working on the next wave of solutions, and we recently began doing a carbon footprint analysis. The information is on our website.
Sparks: What are some general best practices that you recommend to growers to get the best use out of whatever material they’re using?
Rapaka: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach because every substrate is inherently different. We recommend that when you do your initial watering, make sure you completely saturate the substrate and leave no dry spots. You can also use fertilizer with your initial soaking. Once you do that, you get the best response
My main message to growers is to listen to your suppliers. Look at what they are recommending, because most of the time those recommendations are based on research.
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