ISHS Acta Horticulturae 511: XXV International Horticultural Congress, Part 1: Culture Techniques with Special Emphasis on Environmental Implications - Nutrient Management
CONSEQUENCES OF USING ALTERNATIVE TO PEAT SUBSTRATES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT |
| Authors: | V. Guérin, F. Lemaire, O. Marfa, R. Caceres, F. Giuffrida |
| Keywords: | alternative substrate, environment, mineral pollution, ornamental shrubs, water efficiency |
| Abstract:
To reduce sphagnum peat use in growing media, the use of human activity by-products is logical alternative. A joint experiment in oceanic (Oce, France) and in mediterranean (Med, Spain) climates has studied peat based mixtures with coco fibers, yard compost, pine bark compost and peat free mixtures (cattle manure compost/perlite, forest waste compost/cattle manure compost, forest waste compost/pine bark compost and yard compost/coco fibers). Plants of Viburnum (Oce, Med), of Euonymus (Oce) and Nerium(Med), have been grown with different mixes over 6 months. Consequences for the environment have been evaluated by water used and by nutrient concentrations in lixiviates. Water supplies and plant growth allowed to determine the ratio of water use by substrate and plant species. Use of yard compost (Oce) or forest waste (Med) with Viburnumdid not have the same consequences on nutrient concentration and amount in lixiviates: in comparison with the control (sphagnum peat/pine bark compost), nutrient amounts in lixiviate were more important in Oce and less in Med. Differences in chemical and physical properties of these composts explained these relations between substrate composition and possible pollution effect. However, the forest waste compost associated with pine bark compost significantly reduced pollutant lixiviate when Nerium was grown. | |
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