Determination of the optimal rate of slow-release fertilizer for enhanced growth of pawpaw seedlings in containers

Abstract

Growth of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) seedlings in containers was examined in a factorial greenhouse experiment with four treatment levels of the slow-release fertilizer, Osmocote 14-14-14 (14N-6.1P-11.6K), incorporated in Pro-Mix BX potting substrate at 0, 0.13, 0.26 or 0.81 kg·m-3 (0, 0.22, 0.44, or 1.37 lb/yard3) and three treatment levels of liquid-feed fertilizer of Peters 20-20-20 (20N-8.7P-16.6K) water-soluble fertilizer at 0, 250, or 500 mg·L-1 (ppm). When plants were harvested 18 weeks after sowing, seedlings subjected to the highest rate of Osmocote 14-14-14 at 0.81 kg·m-3 and liquid-feed at 500 mg·L-1 had the greatest total biomass, about 3-fold greater than nonfertilized plants. In a separate greenhouse experiment, growth of seedlings was examined with Osmocote 14-14-14 as the sole fertilizer source at six traetment levels of: 0, 0.81, 2.22, 4.43, 8.86, or 17.7 kg·m-3 (0, 1.37, 3.74, 7.47, 14.9, or 29.9 lb/yard3). Early seedling growth was hastened in the 2.22 kg·m-3 treatment rate, but delayed in 17.7 kg·m-3 treatment rate, when compared to nonfertilized control plants. When seedlings were harvested 17 weeks after sowing, plants had the greatest shoot, root, and total dry weight with Osmocote 14-14-14 at a rate of 2.22 kg·m-3. Root:shoot ratio decreased from about 1.5 without Osmocote 14-14-14, to about 0.65 at rates of 2.22 kg·m-3 or greater. Based on the results of this study, the slow-release fertilizer, Osmocote 14-14-14, can be used effectively as a sole fertilizer source when incorporated into potting substrate at a rate of 2.22 kg·m-3 or at a reduced rate of 0.81 kg·m-3 when supplemented with weekly applications of liquid-feed fertilizer at a rate of 500 mg·L-1 of Peters 20-20-20, to enhance production of container-grown pawpaw seedlings.