Fertilization Methods Research Articles

Fertilization methods and substrate particle size differentially affect growth and macronutrient status of Laelia anceps subsp. anceps

The effects of three fertilization methods (FM) using the Peters Professional® 30N-10P-10K water soluble fertilizer were analyzed: fertilization in irrigation water (FIW), foliar fertilization (FF), and their combination (FIW + FF), as well as two substrate particle sizes (SuPS): larger particle size (LPS) and smaller particle size (SPS), on the growth and macronutrient status of Laelia anceps subsp. anceps (Orchidaceae). A 3 × 2 factorial experiment was established. Aerial and root growth, dry weight and concentration of macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in leaves, pseudobulbs, and roots were all evaluated. The interaction of the study factors resulted in a greater number of leaves, while by simple effects, greater leaf area, number of pseudobulbs, root volume, and dry matter of leaves and roots were obtained, when FIW and LPS were used. With FF, greater growth in root volume was observed. There were no differences in the concentration of N in the growth organs analyzed, but due to the interaction of factors, a higher concentration of P, K, Mg, and S was observed in roots, mainly with FIW + FF and SPS; although for P, there was a higher concentration in FIW and LPS. In the case of SPS, the concentrations of K and S were higher in leaves, and in pseudobulbs P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were higher. The results showed that there are positive effects on plant growth when FIW and LPS are used, while higher concentrations of nutrients in leaves, pseudobulbs and mainly in roots are observed when using SPS.

Influence of plastic mulch and fertilization on the environmental impact of spring cabbage production

A three-year field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of plastic mulch (PM) and fertilization methods (FMs) on marketable yield (MY) and environmental impact of spring cabbage production. The trial consisted of two levels of mulching (without and with PM) and nine different FMs, including the control without fertilization (FM1). PM use without fertilization (FM1) increased yields by 35.9 % on average, but the positive yield effect of mulching decreased with fertilizer application (FM2–9). Mature cattle manure, composted pig manure and mineral fertilizer increased yields by 21.2 %, 60.6 % and 51.5 %, respectively. Combined fertilization gave higher yield up to 73.3 % compared to the control (FM1). The environmental impact was evaluated with the ReCiPe 2016 (H) life cycle impact assessment method. The foreground system was modeled mainly using primary data, while background system data were available from the ecoinvent 3.4 generic LCI database. On average across the nine FMs, the application of PM reduced water consumption (23 %), non-carcinogenic toxicity (25 %), terrestrial acidification (4 %), and required land area (11 %), but increased fossil resource scarcity (8 %), global warming (6 %) and fine particulate matter emissions (14 %). PM application had positive impacts on ecosystem quality, but regarding human health and resources availability, positive impacts were found only in the control (FM1). Negative environmental impact of PM was the consequence of large amounts of energy used for its production and hazardous emissions through PM disposal. On-site burning of PM under uncontrolled, open burn conditions should be avoided because of negative health impacts. Landfilling and combustion of PM in incinerators with energy recovery could reduce impacts of cabbage production on human health by 16 and 21 %, respectively, as compared to on-site burning. Fertilizer use was environmentally justified as damage indicators were lower on a MY basis compared to the control treatment without fertilization (by 18 %–44 %).

DISTRIBUSI HARA DALAM TANAH DAN PRODUKSI AKAR TANAMAN KELAPA SAWIT PADA METODE PEMUPUKAN YANG BERBEDA

The effectiveness of fertilization could be influenced by the type of fertilizer and the rightmethod. There are several methods of fertilization, such as fertilizer applied in pockets andscattered. Relations fertilization method with root distribution of oil palm plantations andnutrients in the soil need to be known, so it can be determined in a more effective method offertilization for oil palm plantations. The observation was performed 1 year after application,includes observation of the soil (physical and chemical properties) and the observation of theroot (primary root, secondary, tertiary). Examples of soil and roots were taken at depths of00-20 cm, 20-40 cm, 40-60 cm, 60-80 cm, and 80-100 cm at a distance of 50 cm, 100 cm,150 cm, 200 cm, 250 cm, 300 cm, 350 cm, 400 cm from the base of the stem. The resultsshowed that the distribution of nutrients in the soil surface is greater than the layerunderneath and root production decreased due to lower soil layers.