Effect of different fertilization strategies on nitrogen balance in an outdoor potted crop of Osteospermum ecklonis (DC.) Norl. ‘Purple Red’ under Mediterranean climate conditions
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Publication date
2013-07-15ISSN
1695-971X
Abstract
Fertilization management and meteorological conditions can affect leachate composition and the balance of nitrogen
(N) added during the cultivation of ornamentals. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the N balance
components and to establish relationships between the N concentration in leachates and meteorological variables when
different fertilization strategies are used in an outdoor potted crop of Osteospermum ecklonis (DC.) Norl. ‘Purple
Red’. Two fertilizations strategies, i.e. continuous fertigation (NS) and incorporated controlled-release fertilizer (CRF),
were applied to the crop. The treatments were two NS doses (NO3 –-N concentration in each NS, NS-A: 154 mg L–1 and
NS-B: 112 mg L–1) and two CRF doses (CRF-C: 5.0 g L–1 of substrate and CRF-D: 2.5 g L–1 of substrate). The N loss
by leaching was higher in the NS-A treatment than in the other ones (1.1 g pot–1, 11% of total available N). The amount
of N accumulated by the plants was higher in the NS treatments than in the CRF treatments (average 2.5 g pot–1, 29.5%
of total available N). However the efficiency of use of N was the greatest in the CRF-D treatment (23.9 g dry matter
produced g–1 N supplied). About 50% of the total available N was measured in the substrate in all treatments (average
3.8 g pot–1). The concentration of N in the leachates for the two CRF treatments did not correlate with the substrate
temperature or precipitation. The N released from the CRF matched the nutritional requirements of the plants better
than the N applied by continuous fertigation.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
502 - The environment and its protection
504 - Threats to the environment
Pages
9
Publisher
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria
Is part of
Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research
Citation
Narvaez, L., R. Caceres, and O. Marfà. 2013. “Effect of Different Fertilization Strategies on Nitrogen Balance in an Outdoor Potted Crop of Osteospermum Ecklonis (DC.) Norl. ‘Purple Red’ under Mediterranean Climate Conditions”. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 11 (3): 833-841. doi: 10.5424/sjar/2013113-3764.
Grant agreement number
INIA/Programa nacional de recursos y tecnologías agroalimentarias/RTA2007-00034-00-00/ES/Técnicas de gestión del fertirriego, de recirculación y de tratamiento de lixiviados en viveros de plantas ornamentales de exterior cultivadas en contenedor/
INIA/Programa Nacional de Proyectos de Investigación Fundamental/RTA2010-00112-00-00/ES/Optimización del compostaje de subproductos orgánicos orientado a la obtención de sustratos/
Program
Sostenibilitat en Biosistemes
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2838]
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