Improving Irrigation Water Use in Container Nurseries

Mathers, Hannah M.; Case, Luke T.; Yeager, Thomas H.

doi:10.21273/horttech.15.1.0008

Cited by 49 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Most nurseries irrigate from wells, municipal supply, or surface sources (Hodges et al, 2008), and the amount of water available for irrigating ornamental plants is expected to decline and become more expensive (Beeson, et al, 2004;Fulcher et al, 2016;Mathers et al, 2005). However, most nursery growers have increased, not decreased their water use over time (Fulcher et al, 2016;Hodges et al, 2008).…”

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Identifying Opportunities to Promote Water Conservation Practices among Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Warner

Lamm

Beattie

et al. 2018

horts

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Nursery and greenhouse growers have an important role to play in conserving water resources. Many technologies are available to help growers conserve water. Yet, within the industry, there may be varying levels of knowledge about a specific strategy, along with inconsistent adoption and continued use. An understanding of these factors can be incorporated into educational programming for this audience. This study evaluated the reported knowledge level of U.S. greenhouse and nursery growers about eight specific water conservation technologies and then explored the rate at which growers had adopted and continued or discontinued their use. Technologies were ranked from high to low adoption rate, beginning with drip irrigation, rainwater capture, water reuse, and microirrigation, followed by soil moisture sensors, climate-based irrigation, subirrigation, and finally an irrigation audit. Overall, greater levels of knowledge corresponded to both greater adoption and continued use of a technology. Other factors, such as economic cost and technical feasibility are undoubtedly important. Findings highlight an opportunity to focus educational programs on the systems-based strategies that are beneficial to growers, but growers are least knowledgeable about to increase adoption of effective water conservation methods that currently have low levels of grower implementation.

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Identifying Opportunities to Promote Water Conservation Practices among Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Warner

Lamm

Beattie

et al. 2018

horts

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“…These highly porous, initially disease-free, substrates have been designed to ensure ample drainage regardless of irrigation practices or precipitation to prevent hypoxic conditions. This has led to a practice of excess water application to eliminate any risk of under-watering (Mathers et al, 2005). Moreover, this excess water application leads to inefficient use of water resources and subsequent leaching or runoff of applied agrichemicals (Million et al, 2007).…”

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Soilless Substrate Hydrology Can Be Engineered to Influence Plant Water Status for an Ornamental Containerized Crop Grown within Optimal Water Potentials

Fields¹,

Owen²,

Altland³

et al. 2018

J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci.

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Water-efficient soilless substrates need to be engineered to address diminishing water resources. Therefore, we investigated soilless substrates with varying hydrologies to determine their influence on crop growth and plant water status. Aged loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) bark was graded into four particle size fractions. The coarsest fraction was also blended with either sphagnum peat or coir at rates that mimic static physical properties of the unfractionated bark or conventional substrate used by specialty crop producers within the eastern United States. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Fort Myers’ plugs were established in each of the seven substrates and maintained at optimal substrate water potentials (−50 to −100 hPa). After a salable crop was produced 93 days after transplanting, substrate was allowed to dry until plants completely wilted. Crop morphology and water use was affected by substrate hydrology. Increased substrate unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) allowed for plants to access higher proportions of water and therefore increased crop growth. Maintaining optimal substrate water potential allowed plants to be produced with <18 L water. Measurements of plant water availability showed that the substrate water potential at which the crop ceases to withdraw water varied among substrates. Pore uniformity and connectivity could be increased by both fibrous additions and particle fractionation, which resulted in increased substrate hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Plants grown in substrates with higher hydraulic conductivities were able to use more water. Soilless substrate hydrology can be modified and used in concert with more efficient irrigation systems to provide more water sustainability in container crop systems.

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“…Furthermore, plants in intensively controlled container production systems must receive quality fresh water daily or multiple times per day, in the absence of precipitation, to prevent actual or perceived plant water stress. Because of this, growers often apply excess water to container crops to alleviate concerns of underwatering that could render the plant unmarketable or delay time to sale (Mathers et al, 2005). This has led to container nurseries applying upward of 180 m 3 of irrigation per hectare per day during the warm season (Fulcher and Fernandez, 2013).…”

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The Influence of Substrate Hydraulic Conductivity on Plant Water Status of an Ornamental Container Crop Grown in Suboptimal Substrate Water Potentials

Fields

Owen

Scoggins³

2017

horts

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Many soilless substrates are inefficient with regard to water (i.e., high porosity and low water holding capacity), which provides an excellent opportunity to increase water efficiency in containerized production. We suggest that increasing hydraulic conductivity in the dry range of substrate moisture content occurring during production can increase water availability, reduce irrigation volume, and produce high quality, marketable crops. Three substrates were engineered using screened pine bark (PB) and amending with either Sphagnum peatmoss or coir to have higher unsaturated hydraulic conductivity between water potentials of −100 and −300 hPa. There was no correlation between substrate unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and saturated hydraulic conductivity (r = 0.04, P = 0.8985). Established Hydrangea arborescens (L.) ‘Annabelle’ plants were grown in the three engineered and a conventional (control) PB substrates exposed to suboptimal irrigation levels (i.e., held at substrate water potentials between −100 and −300 hPa) for 32 days. The plants in the engineered substrates outperformed the control in every growth and morphological metric measured, as well as exhibiting fewer (or no) physiological drought stress indicators (i.e., vigor, growth, plant development, etc.) compared with the control. We observed increased vigor measures in plants grown in substrates with higher unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, as well as greater plant water uptake. The coir increased unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and provided an increased air space when incorporated into coarse bark vs. if peat was incorporated into bark at the same ratio by volume. Increasing PB hydraulic conductivity, through screening bark or amending bark with fibrous materials, in concert with low irrigations can produce marketable, vigorous crops while reducing water consumed and minimizing water wasted in ornamental container production.

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Improving Irrigation Water Use in Container Nurseries

Cited by 49 publications

References 11 publications

Identifying Opportunities to Promote Water Conservation Practices among Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Identifying Opportunities to Promote Water Conservation Practices among Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Soilless Substrate Hydrology Can Be Engineered to Influence Plant Water Status for an Ornamental Containerized Crop Grown within Optimal Water Potentials

The Influence of Substrate Hydraulic Conductivity on Plant Water Status of an Ornamental Container Crop Grown in Suboptimal Substrate Water Potentials

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