Restoration projects use native plants such as sea oats (Uniola paniculata) to help stabilize the coast. Sea oats are a native grass that can collect blowing sand to build dunes. Sea
oats used in the restoration projects can be produced using sexual or asexual techniques. An
ideal seedling would be genetically distinct, have increased seed production and germination,
and have superior vegetative biomass.
Finding ways to produce, propagate, and grow coastal plants such as sea oats effectively
is critical to efforts to reduce erosion. In this study, production of sea oats via greenhouse based
hydroponic systems was studied. This was accomplished by using fresh, brackish, and saline
water conditions and then varying the amount of phosphorus fertilizer.
Root growth was shown to be significantly affected by salinity, with an optimal salinity
of 10 ppt. Phosphorus fertilizer was not statistically significant. When the mortality was
investigated, there was an area of interest with a predicted mortality rate of 80%. The area was
between 1.25x and 1.5x concentration of phosphoric acid and 7 and 13 ppt of salinity.
The schematics of the hydroponic system, coupled with the findings, should assist
growers and researchers in optimal growing conditions under hydroponic greenhouse conditions.
Further studies are needed to assess if other nutrient conditions may have significant effects, and how plants grown in a greenhouse may survive in field conditions. Ultimately, this work should
contribute to efforts to effectively produce plants, which will help reduce erosion and assist in coastal restoration efforts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-11052013-181632 |
| Date | 19 November 2013 |
| Creators | Gilliam, Stefanie Renee |
| Contributors | Hall, Steven G., Motsenbocker, Carl, Bengtson, Richard |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11052013-181632/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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