Abstract
Increasing rates (5%, 10%, 25%, and 40%, v/v) of six sources of organic wastes were substituted for peat to assess changes on the physical properties of peat–perlite media and the subsequent plant response. Wastes were both fresh and composted bio-filter, sewage sludge, and de-inked paper sludge. Geranium plants (Pelagornium ×hortum `Orbit Hot Pink') were grown in the media. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and air-filled porosity (AFP) were successively measured with a Cote infiltrometer and by time-domain reflectometry. Pore space tortuosity (PST) and gas relative diffusivity (Dp/Do) were calculated. Both physical and plant growth parameters were significantly affected by the source and rate of application of waste. Ksat (P = 0.0001, r = 0.937), AFP (P = 0.001, r = 0.984), PST (P = 0.0001, r = 0.935), Dp/Do (P = 0.0001, r - 0.872) linearly increased as the rate of waste increased in the media. However, plant height (P = 0.0001, r = 0.856), root dry weight (P = 0.0001, r = 0.994), and shoot dry weight (P = 0.0001, r = 0.963) either linearly or quadratically decreased as the rate of waste increased. Decreases in plant growth parameters were most likely due to high salinity of organic wastes.
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