Strawberry Growth and Development in Three Minesoils Amended With Sludge, Hardwood Bark or a Sudan-Sorghum Green Manure Crop.

Abstract

<jats:p>Strawberry (Fragaria × Anaassa cv. Tribute) plants were planted in 15 cm standard pots filled with overburden soils from three West Virginia surface mine sites. Initial pH levels were 6.5, 4.4, and 3.6. Prior to planting pH levels were adjusted with CaCO<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> to 6.5-6.7 in each soil. Each soil was amended by mixing in 60.85 g/pot (62.5 dry kg/ha) of sewage sludge, Sudan-sorghum hybrid green manure crop, hardwood residues, or unamended. A dry fertilizer (.10-.045-,089, N-P-K) was also mixed into the soil at a rate of 0.5 g/pot (454 kg/ha). Plants were grown from 3-6 to 10-16, 1992, on which date harvests and measurements were performed. The sludge treatments significantly increased fresh and dry weight accumulation, number of leaves, leaf area, and number of runners per plant above that of the control plants. The hardwood residues amendment delayed first date of ripe fruit and decreased average fruit fresh weight in one of the soils. Hardwood residues also decreased leaf number in another soil. The pH levels were raised to 6.8-7.3 by the sludge in all soils and remained at or near these values during the growing period.</jats:p>

Alternative substrates in the cultivation of ornamental and vegetable plants

“…Failures often resulted from the mixtures and materials used. A variety of factors have been attributed to them, including phytotoxins [52], high electrical conductivity (EC) [53], immaturity in hardwood bark compost [54], excess NH 4+ in spent mushroom compost [55], heavy metal toxicity in urban solid wastes [56], or poor physical properties due to low aeration or low waterholding capacity [42,53]. Compost production with adequate quality standards for growing media formulation is more of a problem than incompatibility of compost as a growing medium in general.…”