Effects of Medium-incorporated Hydrogels on Plant Growth and Water Use of Bedding Plants
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Huang, Ching-Yi
Abstract
Reducing water usage in order to make full use of water resources is an important issue for growers today. Bedding plants are usually grown in small containers that are easily susceptible to water stress. Hydrogel amendments had been reported to be effective on reducing irrigation requirements, increasing transplanting survival rate, and improving plant growth and flowering. This study aimed to investigate the effects of hydrogel amendments on plant growth and water use of bedding plants.
Three hydrogels, Alcosorb® (AS), TerraCottem® (TC), and Taisap DC-386A (TS), were incorporated in the growing media of Lantana camara grown under water deficit environment. Substrate incorporated with these three hydrogels had increased water content and electrical conductivity, and reduced hardness. Hydrogel treatments could reduce drought stress of plants grown under water deficit environment. Especially sandy loam treated with 12 g•L-1 AS, 6 or 12 g•L-1 TS had better plant growth. Peat based substrate [2 peatmoss: 1 perlite: 1 vermiculite (by volume)] treated with 12 g•L-1 AS had better plant growth.
Torenia fournieri ‘Clown Burgundy’ plants grown with peat based substrate incorporated with 12 g•L-1 TC and 6 g•L-1 AS had better plant growth under water deficit condition. In addition, Alcosorb® at rate of 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 g•L-1 was tested for the production of Torenia fournieri ‘Clown Burgundy’ in 9-cm pot with peat based medium. Overall plant growth and drought tolerance was better when 3 g•L-1 AS was incorporated in the substrate.
Impatiens wallerana ‘Accent’, Begonia semperflorens-cultorum ‘Super Olympia Pink’, and Viola cornuta were grown in peat based substrate mixed with 3 g•L-1 AS (Mix-AS) or with 3 g•L-1 AS placed under substrate (Bottom-AS) under day/night temperatures of 30/25 and 20/15 oC. Hydrogel treatments had no effect on improving drought tolerance of Impatiens wallerana ‘Accent’. Whereas Mix-AS treatment had better plant growth of Begonia semperflorens-cultorum ‘Super Olympia Pink’ and Viola cornuta under 20/15 oC. Duranta repens ‘Golden Leaves’ was grown with sandy loam and peat based substrate both mixed with 9 g•L-1 AS. Hydrogel treatment resulted in better plant growth when plants were grown with sandy loam substrate, especially during summer. However, no significant effect were recorded when plants were grown with peat based substrate. Moreover, plant growth of hydrogel treatment was reduced compared to control plants. Consequently, growth rate and water requirement were greater when plants were grown under suitable conditions, therefore hydrogel treatments had significant effect on improving drought tolerance of plants.
Subjects
hydroge
water stress
medium water content
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