ISHS Acta Horticulturae 401: International Symposium on Growing Media & Plant Nutrition in Horticulture
PEAT SUBSTRATE AND SELF-REGULATING IRRIGATION - AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND METHOD |
| Authors: | J.A. Saarinen, O. Reinikainen |
| Abstract:
A new irrigation method for horticultural peat substrate was developed in Finland, based on sub-irrigation with a capillary mat, during 1992–1994. By using different water levels compared to the peat boards, very stable moisture contents could be retained in peat throughout the growing seasons. Yields of the subirrigation system were comparable to those of drip-irrigation and even higher in the last year of the experiment. Water consumption was clearly lower with subirrigation, and there was no run-off, compared to drip-irrigation, which had a run-off of about 5 – 10%. No major differences were detected in the mineral contents in plant tissues or tomato fruits between any of the treatments, whereas the press water analysis of the treatment with different fertilization gave clearly different results from the others, indicating some accumulation of nutrients. | |
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