Processed Poultry Feather Fiber as an Alternative to Peat in Greenhouse Crops Substrates

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Plant growth was evaluated in substrates containing varying proportions of processed poultry feather fiber (feather fiber). `Cooler Blush' vinca (Catharanthus roseus) and `Orbit Cardinal' geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum) dry shoot and dry root weights were not significantly different among plants grown in sphagnum-peat-based and perlite-based substrates containing 0% to 30% feather fiber. `Pineapple Queen' coleus (Coleus blumei) dry shoot weights were not significantly different among plants grown in substrates containing 0% to 50% feather fiber. Coleus dry root weights were not significantly different among the substrates containing 0% to 40% feather fiber. `Better Boy' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) dry shoot weights were not significantly different among the substrates containing 0% to 30% feather fiber. Tomato dry root weights were not significantly different among the substrates containing 0% to 30% feather fiber, but tomato grown in substrates containing 40% to 60% feather fiber had significantly lower dry root weights than tomato grown in substrates containing 0% to 30% feather fiber. `Salad Bush' cucumber (Cucumis sativus) dry shoot and dry root weights were not significantly different between plants grown in 0% to 50% feather fiber, but those gown in substrates containing 60% feather fiber had significantly lower dry shoot weights than those grown in substrates containing 0% feather fiber. Dry shoot and root weights of coleus and tomato grown in SB-300 substrate amended with 20% or 30% feather fiber were not significantly different from coleus and tomato grown in SB-300 without feather fiber. Dry shoot and dry root weights of coleus and tomato were significantly lower for plants grown in SB-300 amended with 40% feather fiber than for plants grown in SB-300 without feather fiber. For all species tested, plants grown in substrates containing up to 30% feather fiber were not significantly different from those grown in substrates containing 0% feather fiber and were of marketable qualities.