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Title: NUTRIENT RELEASE FROM CONTROLLLED-RELEASE FERTILIZERS IN ACID SUBSTRATE IN A GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT: II.LEACHATE CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, IRON MANGANESE, ZINC, COPPER, AND MOLYBDENUM CONCENTRATIONS

Author
item Albano, Joseph
item MERHAUT, DONALD - UC RIVERSIDE
item BLYTHE, EUGENE - UC DAVIS
item NEWMAN, JULIE - UC DAVIS

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/9/2006
Publication Date: 12/1/2006
Citation: Albano, J.P., Merhaut, D., Blythe, E., Newman, J. 2006. Nutrient release from controllled-release fertilizers in acid substrate in a greenhouse environment: ii.leachate calcium, magnesium, iron manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum concentrations. HortScience. 41(7):1683-1689

Interpretive Summary: Controlled release fertilizers (CRF) are polymer-coated prills containing nutrients that are leached over the course of weeks based on temperature. In this study, the release characteristics of four different polymer-coated fertilizers (Multicote, Nutricote, Osmocote, and Polyon) were studied over a 47-week period under commercial greenhouse production conditions. Plants were grown in 2.4 L containers, filled with high-fertility, acid-pH growing media. Container leachates (runoff) were collected weekly and monitored for calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum. Leachate concentrations of all nutrients were relatively high during the first 10 to 20 weeks of the study, and then gradually decreased during the remaining portion of the experiment. Few differences were observed among fertilizer types. Of the elements monitored, only Fe and Mn leachate concentrations were above critical levels specified in the Clean Water Act by the U.S. EPA.

Technical Abstract: Leachate from containerized substrate containing one of four different controlled-release fertilizers (Osmocote, Nutricote, Polyon, or Multicote) were monitored for concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Mo during a 47-week period. Environmental and cultural practices simulated an unheated greenhouse production program typically used for low-nutrient-requiring crops such as azalea and camellia. Leachate concentrations of all nutrients were relatively high during the first 10 to 20 weeks of the study, and then gradually decreased during the remaining portion of the experiment. Few differences were observed among fertilizer types. Of the elements monitored, only Fe and Mn leachate concentrations were above critical levels specified in the Clean Water Act by the U.S. EPA.