The study evaluates the potential of pine litter for use as a substrate in the propagation of vegetable transplants
in trays. Sub-optimum pH and electrical conductivity of pine litter were addressed by incorporating 10 % feedlot
manure by volume. The water holding capacities of pine litter and the pine litter-feedlot manure mixture were
higher than the minimum required, but their air filled porosities were below optimum. The pine litter-feedlot
manure mixture reduced the germination percentages of cabbage seedlings by 17 % and lettuce seedlings by
13 % relative to composted pine bark, but the germination percentage of tomato seedlings was similar in both
substrates. There were no significant differences in the growth of vegetable transplants between the two substrates.
In both substrates increasing nutrient availability by adding controlled-release fertilizer had similar positive
effects on the growth transplants. Substrate-nutrient availability interactions were only observed in dry
shoot mass of lettuce seedlings and dry root mass of tomato seedlings. Composting the pine-litter animal
manure mixture could possibly improve the observed low germination percentage of vegetable transplants in
pine litter.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1000985 |
| Date | 18 March 2005 |
| Creators | Mphaphuli, NS, Van Averbeke, W, Bohringer, R |
| Publisher | South African Journal of Plant & Soil |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | South African Journal of Plant & Soil |
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