Evaluation of Soilless Horticultural Substrates for Plant Nutrient Availability and Risk of Loss to Water

Abstract

Peat utilization has faced restrictions recently due to the negative environmental impact associated with its extraction. Consequently, there has been a transition towards peat-free substrates that offer comparable properties to peat while being sourced from renewable and sustainable materials. This research explores the potential relation between Pour-through leachates from five distinct soilless growing media and their nutrients cumulative releases through five leaching events. To prevent nutrients from leaching out, continuous monitoring is required for EC and pH levels which detect the available macro and micronutrients inhibiting their deficiency. The proportional findings reveal that potassium exhibits the highest leachability among other nutrients, followed by phosphorus and then nitrogen. The release of nutrients can be influenced by both the physical and chemical parameters of each growing media.