Abstract
Fertilizer recommendations for fertilizing bedding plants are normally based on nitrogen content of the fertilizer solution. However, nutrient availability is more closely related to the concentration of nutrients in the growing medium than the concentration in the fertilizer solution. Environmental conditions can affect the accumulation of nutrients in the growing medium and optimal fertilizer concentrations are likely to depend on environmental conditions. To test this hypothesis, we grew petunias and geraniums under three temperature regimes (35 °C/27C, 25 °C/17C, and 15 °C/7 °C) and with five concentrations of fertilizers [electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.15, 1, 2, 3, and 4 dS·m –1 ]. Temperature and fertilizer EC affected the plant growth. Optimal fertilizer EC decreased as temperature increased. Growth was better correlated with EC of the growing medium than with EC of the fertilizer solution. Irrespective of growing temperature, plant growth was best when EC of the growing medium was between 3 and 4 dS·m –1 . A lower growing medium EC slowed down growth, presumably because of mild nutrient deficiencies. Higher fertilizer concentrations in the growing medium (>4 dS·m –1 ) decreased growth because of salt stress. The EC of the growing medium increased with increasing EC of the fertilizer solution and with increasing temperature. Because of the interactive effect of fertilizer concentration and temperature on the EC of the growing medium, plants should be grown with more dilute fertilizer solutions at higher temperatures. Fertilization guidelines for growers should be based on maintaining the EC of the growing medium within an optimal range instead of the more traditional recommendations based on the concentration of the fertilizer solution.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Temperature and fertilizer EC affected growth.
Geranium_flowers_in_Westgate_Gardens%2C_Canterbury.jpg?width=60){kind=small}
PetuniaNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_flowers_in_Westgate_Gardens%2C_Canterbury.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Temperature and fertilizer EC affected the plant growth.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal fertilizer EC declined with increasing temperature.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Optimal fertilizer EC decreased as temperature increased.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Growth correlated better with medium EC than fertilizer solution EC.
- Treatment
- EC of the growing mediume0
- Outcome
- Growthe0
- Direction
- better correlatede0
- Comparator
- EC of the fertilizer solutione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Growth was better correlated with EC of the growing medium than with EC of the fertilizer solution.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Growth was best at medium EC between 3 and 4 dS·m –1.
- Treatment
- EC of the growing mediume0
- Outcome
- plant growthe0
- Direction
- beste0
- Value
- between 3 and 4 dS·m –1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plant growth was best when EC of the growing medium was between 3 and 4 dS·m –1”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower medium EC slowed growth.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A lower growing medium EC slowed down growth”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Medium fertilizer concentrations above 4 dS·m –1 decreased growth.
- Treatment
- Higher fertilizer concentrations in the growing medium (>4 dS·m –1 )e0
- Outcome
- growthe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- salt stresse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Higher fertilizer concentrations in the growing medium (>4 dS·m –1 ) decreased growth because of salt stress.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Medium EC rose with fertilizer solution EC.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The EC of the growing medium increased with increasing EC of the fertilizer solution”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Medium EC rose with temperature.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The EC of the growing medium increased with increasing EC of the fertilizer solution and with increasing temperature.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Use more dilute fertilizer solutions at higher temperatures.
- Outcome
- more dilute fertilizer solutions at higher temperaturese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants should be grown with more dilute fertilizer solutions at higher temperatures.”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
Claim · model-written summary
Base fertilization guidelines on optimal medium EC.
- Outcome
- maintaining the EC of the growing medium within an optimal rangee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fertilization guidelines for growers should be based on maintaining the EC of the growing medium within an optimal range”
t0“Petunia and Geranium”
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