• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.508-512
• /
• 2000

Growth of red pepper (Capsicum annuum) 'Kumtap', tomato (Lycoperisocon esculentum) 'Seokwang', petunia (Petunia hybrida) 'Madness Rose', and pansy (Viola tricolor) 'Magestic Giant' in mixtures of chestnut woodchips and granular rockwool at 25:75, 50:50, or 75:25 (v/v) was examined. Chestnut woodchips were soaked in water for 48 hours or aged in open field for 6 months in order to remove substances impeding plant growth. A commercial plug medium was used as the control. All treatments showed in a similar result in red pepper, petunia, and pansy. Plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, and chlorophyll content in media containing chestnut woodchips, especially in higher proportions, were poorer as compared to those in the control. On the contrary, height, fresh weight, and dry weight of tomato seedlings in media containing woodchips were significantly higher than those in the control. For petunia, pansy, and red pepper, six month ageing in open field of woodchips was more favorable for growth than 48 hour water soaking. Emergance of petunia seed was inferior, especially when woodchip content was higher, to the other crops with a resultant growth suppression. From the results, chestnut woodchips proved to be a practical material as a medium component only in tomato plants.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.166-172
• /
• 2003

Rockwool slabs used for hydroponic cultures are expected to have potential to be reused after breakdown as a growing medium component for hydroponic culture of vegetables and cut flowers, pot plants, or plug plants. This study was conducted to test the feasibility of using particles of used rockwool slabs (PURS) mixed with woodchips for growing plug seedlings of ‘Nokkufang’ pepper. In the first experiment growth of pepper seedlings was tested in media of steam sterilized PURS mixed with chestnut woodchips (CW), which was weatherized for six months and screened through 2.8 mm or 5.6 mm sieves, at 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 28:75 or 0:100 (%, v/v). In the second experiment growth of pepper seedlings was tested in 20 different media containing steam sterilized PURS mixed with 4 mm chestnut woodchips (CW), 4 mm pinc woodchips (PW), coir, peatmoss, or perlite. In the first experiment, there were no significant growth differences as affectcd by particle size of CW, while the overall best growth was achieved il1 the control and l00% PURS. In the second experiment, seedling growth was enhanced as compared to the control in 100% PURS or PURS mixed with peatmoss, coir, or perlite. In contrast, growth was suppressed as the proportion of peatmoss or coir mixed with PURS decreased and the proportion of CW increased. Growth was better in the PURS + peatmoss than in the 100% PURS or PURS + coir, and when woodchips were mixed with coir than peatmoss.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.81-89
• /
• 2004

This study was conducted in a commercial plug glasshouse in Sacheon to examine the possibility of producing tomato plug seedlings using various growing media containing cellular glass foam (CGF)and carbonized chestnut woodchips (CCW) as medium components. Plug seedlings of 'Seogun' tomato were grown in media containing 50% CCW＋50% peatmoss, 33% CGF＋67% peatmoss, and 50% peatmoss＋50% granular rockwool. A commercial plug medium (Tosilee) was used as the control. All seeds were sown in 200 cell plug trays on November 28, 2001. Seedling growth was measured at 31 days after sowing. Each treatment showed a similar growth result as compared to the control. Plant height, root grade, fresh weight, and air space and bulk density of the medium were significantly greater in the 33% CGF＋67% peatmoss treatment than those in the other media. However, growth was slightly suppressed in the 50% CCW＋50% peatmoss. pH and EC of the media were the highest in the control treatment, although no toxicity symptoms had been observed. The results suggest that perlite can be replaced with a new material such as CGF in the commercial scale production of plug seedlings of 'Seogun' tomato.