Location: Application Technology Research
Project Number: 5082-21000-001-023-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2019
End Date: Jul 31, 2022
Objective:
Utilize new scientific tools and understanding of growing media dynamic properties to engineer stratified media(s) in which each layer is designed to have situational specific physical and chemical attributes while retaining resources and mitigating impact of agrochemical leaching.
Approach:
Coordinated research projects will be carried out in concert using controlled systems to understand the effect and cost of altering individual physiochemical properties on crop water relations, agrochemical fate, and weed management. This will require an iterative process to identify ideal characteristics before creating a menu of different stratified media that can be compared to conventional substrates and further validated for increased resource efficiencies at multiple US nurseries. Cooperator will validate ideas and findings in different US regions (substrate physics in Louisiana, fertility in North Carolina and weed science in Florida) and under different environmental conditions. These efforts will be accomplished simultaneously while addressing the following national priorities: (1) Crop: Environmental Stress Reduction, Shoot/Root Physiology, (2) Post-Production: Physiological Acclimation, Stress Reduction, (3) Production/Efficiency: Process Re-Engineering, (4) Resource Management: Substrate Management, Nutrient Management, (5) Water: Water Management, Water Use for Ornamental Plants, Water Quality.