Plant Performance and Nutrient Losses during Containerized Bedding Plant Production Using Composted Dairy Manure Solids as a Peat Substitute in Substrate

Abstract

<jats:p>Recent concerns over the environmental impact of peat harvesting have led to restrictions on the production of peat in Florida and other areas. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the use of composted dairy manure solids as a substitute for sphagnum or reed-sedge peat in container substrates on the growth of <jats:italic>Solenostemon scutellarioides</jats:italic> L. Codd ‘Wizard Velvet’, <jats:italic>Tagetes patula</jats:italic> L. ‘Safari Queen’, and <jats:italic>Begonia</jats:italic> ×<jats:italic>hybrida</jats:italic> ‘Dragon Wing Red’ and to examine the nutrient content in leachate from pots. Plants were grown for 5 weeks in a greenhouse in 15-cm plastic pots with seven substrates containing various proportions of sphagnum peat (S) or reed-sedge peat (R) and composted dairy manure solids (C), each with 20% vermiculite and 20% perlite. Substrate composition had no effect on plant quality ratings, number of flowers, or root dry mass for any of the plant species evaluated. Substrate composition did not affect the growth index (GI) or shoot dry mass of <jats:italic>S. scutellarioides</jats:italic> ‘Wizard Velvet’ or the GI of <jats:italic>T. patula</jats:italic> ‘Safari Queen’. However, growth of <jats:italic>B</jats:italic>. ×<jats:italic>hybrida</jats:italic> ‘Dragon Wing Red’ (GI and shoot dry mass) and <jats:italic>T. patula</jats:italic> ‘Safari Queen’ (shoot dry mass only) was highest in the 3S:0R:0C substrate. The substrates containing sphagnum peat and/or composted dairy manure solids (3S:0R:0C, 2S:0R:1C and 1S:0R:2C) had the highest NH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub>-N losses through the first 7 d of production. The 0S:3R:0C substrate had the highest initial leachate NO<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>+NO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>-N losses and this trend persisted throughout most of the production cycle. Significantly more dissolved reactive phosphorus was leached from substrate mixes containing composted dairy manure solids than mixes containing only sphagnum or reed-sedge peat materials through 19 d after planting. All substrates tested as part of this study appeared to be commercially acceptable for production of container-grown bedding plant species based on plant growth and quality. However, nutrient losses from the containers differed depending on the peat or peat substitute used to formulate the substrates.</jats:p>

Use of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae processing residue in peat-based growing media

“…Some studies recently evaluated the use of composted residues (urban solid waste, sewage sludge, livestock manure and agroindustrial waste) or solid fraction of digestates (coming from biogas plants) as alternatives to peat (Bustamante et al, 2008;De Lucia et al, 2013;Moldes et al, 2007;Ostos et al, 2008;Ronga et al, 2016Ronga et al, , 2018aShober et al, 2010;Tittarelli et al, 2009). In general, all authors suggested that a partial replacement of commercial peat with up to 20% of compost alternatives is an approach that could improve agricultural sustainability.…”

Anaerobically Digested Dairy Fiber in Soilless Potting Media for Herbaceous Perennials

“…Mean growth parameter measures for herbacious nursery crops grown in grown in bark-peat-perlite and bark-ADDF-perlite mixes. Significant differences ( * ) at P ≤ 0.05. dairy manure and dissolve at pH below 7 [21]. The continued release of N throughout the trial suggests the mineralization of organic N into plant available forms.…”

Approaches for adding value to anaerobically digested dairy fiber

“…Li et al [62] concluded that there was potential to use cowpeat in foliage plant propagation and for foliage plant production. Shober et al [63,64]) used cowpeat obtained from the same source at about the same time as [62] as a peat substitute in substrates for the container production of three annual bedding plants and three woody landscape shrubs. Their results indicated substrates formulated with cowpeat appeared to be commercially acceptable for production of container-grown bedding plant and woody landscape shrub species based on growth and quality [63].…”