Behaviour of peat substrates during cyclamen and poinsettia cultivation [Euphorbia pulcherrima - Cyclamen]
1997
Cattivello, C. | Donna, E. della | Pantanali, R. (Ente Regionale di Sviluppo Agricolo per il Friuli Venezia Giulia (ERSA), Gorizia (Italy))
English. Sphagnum peats used by Italian flower growers come from various Countries of Europe. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the influence of age, granulometry and species on the skrinkage and air content in peat based substrates as well as the effects of these physical parameters on the growth and final quality of the plants. Finnish, German, Irish, Lithuanian and Swedish sphagnum peats with two granulometry ranges were used. All these materials were characterized by physical and physico-chemical analysis. During the cultivation the most important morphological characteristics of plants were determined. The final field shrinkage was influenced by the type of peat, the species and their interaction, but not by the granulometry. The Irish and the German peats seemed to be the most stable. On cyclamen the shrinkage was more serious than on poinsettia. Lithuanian and Swedish peats changed radically their mechanical stability depending on the cultivated species. The field final volume of air and the total loss of water were higher in the youngest peats, but an interaction with species and granulometry was also observed. On cyclamen the highest granulometry fraction gave the best air stability. The growth parameters and the plant final quality were influenced in large part by the peat age. The data suggest that air content stability, growth and plant quality are positively related with the degree of decomposition. The substrates with moderate shrinkage, highest final content of air and least loss gave the best plant quality. The relation between field and laboratory determination of shrinkage and volume of air is discussed
Show more [+] Less [-]Italian. Scopo del lavoro e' stato quello di valutare l'influenza dell'eta' della torba, della granulometria e della specie coltivata sulla stabilita' nel contenuto d'aria e volume dei substrati, nel corso della coltivazione. Sono state prese in esame 7 torbe di sfagno caratterizzate da diversa eta' e provenienza. Queste sono state caratterizzate dal punto di vista fisico e chimico-fisico in tre momenti: prima, durante e a fine coltivazione. Le due frazioni granulometriche esaminate hanno influenzato molto debolmente i parametri esaminati. Il restringimento finale e la perdita d'aria sono stati per lo piu' condizionati dalla diversa eta' della torba e dalla specie coltivata. La maggior costanza dei parametri fisici e' stata osservata nelle torbe di media eta'
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