Relationship of Soluble Salts Content in MSW Compost Media and Rooting of Evergreen Cuttings

Chong, Calvin

doi:10.1080/1065657x.2000.10701747

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…same source, may differ in chemical properties, we recommend that you determine the soluble salts concentration of the material and/or prepared medium before use. If the reading is higher than 0.2 dS•m -1 (1 substrate : 2 water by volume extract), leach it and use only when the reading is below or very close to this value, or if you have prior knowledge that cuttings are tolerant of higher salt levels (Chong, 2000b). We have also observed that some composts and paper mill sludges leach easier than others.…”

Section: Rooting Substratesmentioning

confidence: 86%

Experiences with Wastes and Composts in Nursery Substrates

Chong¹

2005

horttech

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During the past 20 years, the Ornamental Nursery Research Program at the former Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario (now part of the University of Guelph) has been conducting applied research dealing with environmentally friendly and sustainable nursery production practices with emphasis on container production. The use of farm, industrial, and consumer waste by-products as amendments in nursery substrates has been a major focus. The program has evaluated hundreds of potting mixes derived from individual or combined, raw or composted waste by-products including spent mushroom compost, turkey litter compost, paper mill sludge, municipal waste compost, corrugated cardboard, apple pomace, wood chips from pallets, pulverized glass, and various types of tree barks. With few exceptions, all the above waste by-products tested under our cultural conditions provided acceptable to excellent container-growing media, often in amounts exceeding 50% and sometimes up to 100% by volume in No. 2 containers (6 L), even despite initially elevated and potentially toxic contents of soluble salts [expressed in terms of electrical conductivity measured up to 8.9 dS·m-1 in 1 substrate: 2 water (by volume) extracts] in many of the substrates. A key to these successful results is that salts leach quickly from the containers to benign levels (∼1.0 dS·m-1) with normal irrigation practices. High initial pH in most waste-derived substrates (up to 8.9) has had little or no discernible effect on growth of a wide assortment of deciduous nursery species. By-products such as paper mill sludge and municipal waste compost with soluble salts contents typically ranging from 0.8 to 2.0 dS·m-1, also provide acceptable rooting media provided salts are leached before use to values ≤0.2 dS·m-1. The porosity and aeration characteristics of waste-derived substrates tend to be comparable to, or better than, those of bark.

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Section: Rooting Substratesmentioning

confidence: 86%

Experiences with Wastes and Composts in Nursery Substrates

Chong¹

2005

horttech

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“…Compost applicators should also consider the substrates to which composts are being applied and the species of plans cultivated within them (Reddy and Crohn 2012). Studies examining the phytotoxicity of compost with an EC >5 dS m À1 have shown that when these composts are not diluted in other media or properly irrigated, the plants grown therein do experience negative effects from salt stress (Cai and Gao 2011;Chong 2000). Germination of most seeds should be done in soils that have an EC e of 4 dS m À1 to optimize the rate and overall emergence of seedlings.…”

Section: Application Of High Ec Compost and The Effects On Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soluble Salts in Compost and Their Effects on Soil and Plants: A Review

Gondek

Weindorf

Thiel

et al. 2020

Compost Science & Utilization

148

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The chemical, physical, and biological conditions of soil and growing media can be substantively improved by the addition of compost. Compost contains many plant essential nutrients (e.g. N, P, and K) and can also be a source of organic matter. However, concerns persist over composts with a high concentration of soluble salts and their effects on soil fertility, plant growth, and yields. Soluble salts refer to soluble ions such as Ca 2þ , K þ , Mg 2þ , and Na þ in compost and are measured indirectly and cumulatively through electrical conductivity (EC). Specifically, compost salinity is commonly measured using a method referred to as EC 5 whereas soils are measured using an EC e . The use of a variety of non-standardized methodologies often make interpreting results between studies difficult. A compost with an EC 5 >5 dS m À1 could be the result of high concentrations of Na þ or other ions, which can be detrimental to plants due to their ability to accumulate in plant tissue and interfere with root uptake of water. Thus, reducing soluble salts, specifically Na þ and Cl À in composts is of high importance. Other soluble salts present in compost (e.g. K þ and Ca 2þ ) are mineral nutrients required for plant growth and can aid in reducing soil sodicity. In appropriate proportions, quality compost with a high EC 5 mixed with soil or media can enhance plant growth and yields. Composts with a high EC 5 are adept at aiding in soil remediation by facilitating soil particle flocculation, helping leach Na þ deeper into the soil profile and raising soil cation exchange capacity in support of increased soil fertility. Labeling composts and developing appropriate application methods could allay concerns associated with composts where EC 5 > 5 dS m À1 and promote compost use and sustainable farming practices.

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“…Salt tolerance in plants is usually associated with the ability to restrict the uptake and or transport of saline ions from roots to shoots (Hajibagheri et al, 1987). The introduction of salt-tolerant perennial species is one of the most promising alternatives to overcome salinity problems (Rengasamy et al, 2003) plus compost can make substantial contributions to recovering saline areas for agriculture (Chong, 2013;Tartoura et al 2014).…”

Section: Nitrogen Potassium Phosphorus and Sodiummentioning

confidence: 99%

Alfalfa crops amended with MSW compost can compensate the effect of salty water irrigation depending on the soil texture

Mbarki

Cerdà

Živčák

et al. 2018

Process Safety and Environmental Protection

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Process Safety and Environmental Protection x x x ( 2 0 1 7 ) xxx-xxx not restrain the enhancement of alfalfa yield. MSW compost at 40 t ha −1 was convinent to do not attend phytotoxic level. These results suggest that MSW compost compensates, at least partially, the negative effect of salinity on plant growth and nutrient uptake and that it is important to know soil texture to apply compost to remediate salty degraded soils.

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Relationship of Soluble Salts Content in MSW Compost Media and Rooting of Evergreen Cuttings

Cited by 11 publications

References 11 publications

Experiences with Wastes and Composts in Nursery Substrates

Experiences with Wastes and Composts in Nursery Substrates

Soluble Salts in Compost and Their Effects on Soil and Plants: A Review

Alfalfa crops amended with MSW compost can compensate the effect of salty water irrigation depending on the soil texture

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