Identifying appropriate methodology to diagnose aeration limitations with large peat and bark particles in growing media

Caron, Jean; Morel, Philippe; Rivière, L.M.; Guillemain, Gilles

doi:10.4141/cjss09015

Cited by 26 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The correlation matrix and the stepwise multiple regression analysis both suggested a significant effect of the gas exchange parameters ( D s D 0 −1 ) and pore effectiveness coefficient (γ) expected on the growth of seedlings for the prevailing wet conditions of 2009. Our results are thus very consistent with those of Allaire et al (1996), Nkongolo and Caron (2006a, 2006b), and Caron et al (2010) and were expected to some extent, given the wet water regime observed (Fig. 2b) and the lower air‐filled porosity of the substrates in 2009 than in 2008 (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…current selection criteria for peat in private and public nurseries are based on textural grades (i.e., diferent ratios of coarse and ine peat particles) because the particle size distribution has long been shown to afect the air-illed porosity (q a , a widely used substrate quality index; Carlson, 1983). he relationship between particle size and q a is still supported by most recent data (Caron et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Peat has a wide range of textural differences because the level of humification of peat and the manipulation associated with its harvesting and handling usually increase the proportion of fine particles (Hammond, 1975; Heiskanen et al, 1996; Caron and Rivière, 2003). Some concerns were recently raised by private and public nurseries regarding the impact of such variation in textural grades on aeration properties, based on the reported links between grades and air‐filled porosity (Verhagen, 1997; Caron et al, 2005b, 2010). However, in light of the minimal effect of a high (50% v/v) proportion of particles in the 2‐ to 4‐mm range on gas exchange properties (Caron et al, 2005b), anticipated effects of textural grades on plant performance may be limited if no effects are observed on gas exchange properties (Caron et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Substrate Aeration Properties and Growth of Containerized White Spruce: A Case Study

Boudreault

Pépin

Caron

et al. 2014

Vadose Zone Journal

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Seedlings are rejected every year in forest nurseries because of insufficient root development and root plug cohesion. Adequate substrate bulk density and aeration properties are of critical importance for root growth and water and nutrient uptake. The quality norms for nursery substrates, based in part on the ratio of coarse to fine particle sizes, have recently been questioned with respect to substrate performance. We conducted experiments in 2008 and 2009 under commercial nursery conditions to determine the effects of substrate physicochemical properties on seedling growth and nutrition. Seedlings were grown in 13 different substrates composed of coarse and fine peat particles (threshold size: 0.5 mm), perlite, and vermiculite, covering a broad range of physical properties with adequate available water and various coarse/fine particle ratios and aeration properties. Substrate properties had significant effects on growth parameters in both years. Seedling growth was affected by water stress in 2008 and low gas diffusivity in 2009. This study emphasizes the importance of management on substrate performance, indicating that short periods of moderate water stress (matric potential lower than −10 kPa) may hinder seedling growth. It also suggests that when irrigated substrates are maintained within the 0 to −5 kPa matric potential range, gas diffusivity should not be lower than 0.003 to 0.005 cm2 s cm−2 s−1, in agreement with the modeled O2 profiles in root plugs. Hence, when designing and using substrates at the nursery scale, more attention should be paid to aeration properties after potting and to the management rather than to the coarse/fine particle ratio.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 72%

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confidence: 99%

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Substrate Aeration Properties and Growth of Containerized White Spruce: A Case Study

Boudreault

Pépin

Caron

et al. 2014

Vadose Zone Journal

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“…Few studies have focused on the effect of root growth on growing media at the container scale, and the results have often been contradictory, probably due to different irrigation regimes and particle size distributions of the growing media used in these trials. All researchers have suggested that roots mainly grow in macropores and thus progressively fill them (Cannavo and Michel, 2013; Allaire‐Leung et al, 1999, Caron et al, 2010). In terms of aeration, this leads to a large decrease in air‐filled porosity (Caron et al, 2010; Cannavo et al, 2011; Cannavo and Michel, 2013), but the evolution of the pore tortuosity and of the resulting relative gas diffusivity are different.…”

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confidence: 99%

Pore Tortuosity and Wettability as Main Characteristics of the Evolution of Hydraulic Properties of Organic Growing Media during Cultivation

Kerloch

Michel

2015

Vadose Zone Journal

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Irrigation in soilless culture is generally managed by taking into account the air-illed porosity and water availability of the growing medium for plants, which are determined before culture from the water retention curve. However, many factors can affect the physical properties during the growth period and then lead to poor irrigation. This study aimed to analyze the combined effects of root development and irrigation management on the hydraulic properties of organic media and their consequences for water and air availability for the root system with time. A culture of Radrazz Rosa ´hybrida was performed with four different materials (peat, pine bark, coir, and wood iber) during 6 mo in a greenhouse, with the most common irrigation management between −1 and −10 kPa. Root volume, total volume, air and water retention properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity, relative gas diffusivity, and wettability of each growing medium were measured at the beginning and the end of the experiment. The study showed different physical behaviors for the growing media in terms of air and water retention but mainly highlighted decreases in total volume, pore tortuosity, and wettability and an increase in gas diffusion as the common and most relevant parameters inluencing their evolution with time.Abbreviations: AFP, air-illed porosity; EAW, easily available water.Investments in the horticultural industry (greenhouse, growing media, fertilizer, recycling system, heating, etc.) are generally expensive, and crop failures can lead to severe inancial losses for growers. he main reason for such failure, as noted by experts and producers, is faulty irrigation management of the growing medium, which can lead to ʶ root asphyxia, nutrient leaching (and then pollution), and risks for plant health with the development of pathogens due to excessive irrigation ʶ poor rewetting of the growing medium (with risks of hydrophobicity) and plant physiological stress (nutrient deiciency) under the driest conditions and then a deterioration of plant yield and quality. Knowing these risks, producers generally use coarse growing media with excessive fertigation to avoid water and nutrient stress for the plant (Raviv and Lieth, 2008).

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“…Oxygen stress may induce a number of reactions in plants, such as a reduction in transpiration, nutrient uptake and growth [5]. Recently the meaningfulness of air capacity as the most important parameter describing oxygen supply to roots is discussed in the literature [6][7][8][9]. The air in growing media contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Air Content on the Oxygen Diffusion Coefficient of Growing Media

Schmitz¹,

Anlauf²,

Rehrmann³

2013

AJPS

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An important parameter for describing oxygen availability in growing media is the air capacity, but this parameter does not include any information about the gas exchange with the surrounding atmosphere. The oxygen diffusion coefficient fulfills this requirement and may be better suited as a characteristic parameter to describe the oxygen regime. The measurement of the gas diffusion coefficient is a common method to describe the oxygenation in mineral soils, but this method has not been studied well on growing media yet. In this investigation four different growing media were used to measure the oxygen diffusion coefficient at two different bulk densities and four different water tensions in the laboratory. The effect of density and water tension on the oxygen diffusion coefficient in different growing media and the dependence on air content were investigated. The results show that both water tension and density have a major influence on oxygen diffusion. With increasing density and moisture content, a decrease of the oxygen diffusion coefficient can be observed. Between the substrates there are no significant differences regarding the oxygen diffusion coefficient at the same air content. Based on the oxygen diffusion coefficients of the substrates, the models describing the dependence of gas diffusion coefficients to air content in the literature were tested for the transferability to growing media. The Moldrup model [1] shows the best fit. The fit can be slightly further improved by modifying the tortuosity parameter.

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Identifying appropriate methodology to diagnose aeration limitations with large peat and bark particles in growing media

Cited by 26 publications

References 27 publications

Substrate Aeration Properties and Growth of Containerized White Spruce: A Case Study

Substrate Aeration Properties and Growth of Containerized White Spruce: A Case Study

Pore Tortuosity and Wettability as Main Characteristics of the Evolution of Hydraulic Properties of Organic Growing Media during Cultivation

Effect of Air Content on the Oxygen Diffusion Coefficient of Growing Media

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