Nursery Management of Ornamental Plants - Literature review Example

Nursery Management of Ornamental Plants Names Course Instructor Date Introduction Organic farming can assertively be differentiated from conventional agriculture in that there is a particular level of respect to the natural environment. Nordic ecological association (2000) described organic farming as “a self-sustaining and insistent agro-ecosystem in good balance, with the system based on renewable resources, which builds on a universal view that involves the ecological, economic and social features of agricultural production on local and global perspectives; nature is looked at in its entirety with its own natural value. In keeping with Lichtfouse (2011) man has a moral responsibility to farm in a manner that cultivated landscape comprise a positive aspect of nature?” This however begs the question of whether organic farming is sustainable considering the increased technological evolution (Lichtfouse, 2011). Principles of organic Agriculture Background The principles of organic agriculture were first brought forward by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) September, 2005. This were defined as the aspirations of the organic farming and approved by the general assembly or IFOAM on September 25th, 2005. In 1946 the Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society started the production of a quarterly journal Organic Farming Digest. This became the first journal on "organic" journal to be published by an association. Paul & John (2009) states that in 1946, the Living Association of Tasmania adopted the journal and distributed it to its own members it also held together for a decade but later disbanded on January 19th 1955 because of lack of funds. In the latest years the organic center has grown significantly although it’s not without challenge. With the need to explain the fundamental values of organic agriculture, In order to apply the principles in to the broadest sense including the way people tend soils water, plants and animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute goods(Lockeretz, 2007). The main concerns raised by these principles were people’s interaction with living landscapes, their relationship with one and the legacy of future generations (IFOAM, 2005) The Organic Agriculture principles were split into four as follows: 1. The principle of care- also known as precautionary principle which emphasis on the taking extra care to ensure health and wellbeing of current and future generation and the environment. 2. The principle of Ecology- this principle argues that organic agriculture should be founded on ecological system and cycles which saw it being referred as the cyclic principle. 3. The principle of health- it is argued that Organic agriculture should uphold and improve soil health as well as; plant, animal, and human wellbeing as one and indivisible. 4. The principle of fairness- organic agriculture is should be established on relationships that ensure fairness with the regard to the common environment and life opportunities. In the latest years the principle of nearness has been this is so as a debate arises to whether organic farms should be built on their own geographical areas to avoid any contaminations Objective The main objective of this paper is to critically analyzethe sustainability of organic farming in tandem with good nursery management practices of ornamental plants.for a an organic nursery to be successful careful decision should be made on the location of the nursery considering if the nursery is too close to conventional firms there is a possibility of pesticide contamination. Considering this is just the beginning of challenges far more than experienced in the non-organic farming one would ask whether this is sustainable. To answer this question in the simplest of manner the answer would be yes but with many challenges that call for accurate planning and decision making. According to Lockeretz, (2007) a nursery manager should create a working schedule a nursery calendar, plant development register, nursery inventory and before he or she starts. This isto ensure his staffs are conversant with the ways of organic farming its benefits and its short comings .Once everything is set decisions should be made on the structure layout, sources of water, lighting, temperature, gas exchange and electricity Targeting seedling and seedling quality The quality of the seedling plays a huge role in determining whether your final product will grow successfully or not. This means targeting the right seedling for the right environment and use. This is not as easy as it may sound especially in the case of organic seedlings which do not get the support of chemical to survive but instead heavily rely on how well they have been prepared. Seedling quality is determined by how well the seedling has been prepared to survive environmental challenges after leaving the nursery (Miller et al, 2005). For example; a seedling prepared to for ornamental purposes will receive totally different care depending with where it will be planted. If it will be planted inside a house then its preparation will be different from the one planted next to the gate. The latter will be expected to go perhaps for days without water under the sun and wind while the former will on the other hand most receive more attention. Newman, (2008) states that it should be noted that seedling quality depends on a number of factors one is the seeds ability to quickly develop new roots. Secondly it is the speed with which the seed holds to the ground assimilates and starts growing. Thirdly is a well sun adapted foliage plus an extended collar diameter. Fourthly is the shoot ratio this requires destructive sampling to observe. Fifth is the seed roots should have good carbohydrate reserves and a reliable mineral nutrition. This ensures establishment of adequate mycorrhizal or rhizobium infection which ensures good plant development by increasing plant resistance and stress reduction. Quality of seed This factor heavily depends on the source; in cases of organic seeds this becomes even more complex. Since one has to ensure that when getting the seed it’s carefully checked to make sure, the seed is organic and not polluted by chemicals or GMOs. This might be even harder, when it comes to ornamental plants since their not very many regulators looking into them as it is with the organic food sector(Miller et al, 2005).. This would call for the one responsible to perhaps where possible collect the seeds himself in order to ensure their originality. Comparing this to use of non-organic seeds it would seem like there is a lot to accomplish when it comes to organic nursery questioning how sustainable this is. Seedling development Seedling development- is divided into three phases establishment, production and hardening. Paul and John(2008) observes that the first phase which is establishment includes seed germination and root growth, secondly the rapid shoot growth is the production phase while thirdly hardening means that the seedlings gradually get accustomed to their environment. Soaking includes soaking in cold water for not less than twelve hours and not more than 48hours. Nicking on the other hand is the immersion of the seed in hot water about 70°C and soaking for 12 to 48hours for partial or complete removal of the seed coat. While this is being done, the one managing the organic seed handling must ensure that the water is not contaminated. Handreck et al, (2002) adds that this is because this interaction with the seed increases the chances of pollution a factor which is only of much concern in the organic development of seedling and not in the non-organic one. Production follows the establishment phase, in this phase the seeds develop and roots and shoots begin to grow rapidly it should be noted that this phase is as important as the establishment phase, failure of good development of roots means failure of good movement of nutrients and a result failure of the seedling to survive. Seedlings should be transplanted in time to avoid deformities as this are attributed to unsuccessful plant development. Hardening and planting out Prior to planting out it’s important to ensure that the seedlings are accustomed to the conditions at the planting site. To make this possible 4-6 weeks in advance before planting out, the nursery manager should start hardening the seeds. How to do this is specifically determined by where the plant is going to be planted. For drier areas the plant manager should ensure water reduction is practiced gradually once a week and the shed is gradually removed. As observed it’s important to plant seedlings when they reach their optimum to avoid deformities. Handling seedling variability-Since most ornamental species have not undergone any serious domestication especially in reference to organic handling, it is important to note that there is an increased possibility of variation. In such a case vigorous culling would be advised to restore uniformity this is the removal of any weak, diseased or overgrown plants. To reduce variation in advance it’s important to set culling targets to significantly reduce costs. It is imperative to make culling resolution early to achieve a uniform nursery population. Culling should be repeated when seedlings are being re planted(Newman, 2008). Coefficient of variation (CV) - is the mathematical way used to accurately calculate variation in a nursery. This method is more useful than the standard deviation because CV is free of measured units such as millimeters, centimeters, or meters. CV method provides better variability in comparison to what the standard deviation provides. To calculate CV standard deviation (SD) divided by mean sample= CV (SD/Mean sample = CV) this figure is further multiplied by 100 to give a percentage. The bigger the CV the bigger the variation the smaller the CV the more uniform the population is.it is recommended that to distinguish genetic variability from nursery effects it is important to grow the seedlings in several blocks this way one can reduce culling and during out planting know which seedlings go to which section of the field (Handreck et al, 2002). Types of containers used in nurseries Containers used in nurseries are generally defined by the material used to make them. These are polythene, polystyrene, fiber or paper. However one set back seen during the use of containers is the substrate, this is discussed in the following paragraphs. According to Mason, (2004)the right substrate must be used to ensure suitable development of extensive fibrous root system. Poly bags- this are mostly used in developing countries they are made of black polythene with small drainage holes in the bottom. A problem with these containers is they cause spiral root growth which makes the seedlings growth poor due to inefficient resistance to stress and wind throw. Seedlings planted in polybags are also seen to die early due to pathogens and poor root systems. Poly-sleeves- they are made of black polythene but they have no bottom, they allow air pruning when raised but they are expensive to transport since the substrate can easily fall and damage roots. Jiffy® pots - they are created from compressed; they need to be filled with growth substrate. They are designed in a way that roots can easily penetrate the container walls so roots do not curl. The pot is usually biodegradable allowing it to be planted with the seedling. Root trainers- this are containers designed with internal vertical spaces to direct roots vertically down. The containers are set on frames or bed above ground to allow air pruning. Seedling grown in this manner are observed to do well than those planted in polythene It should be observed that while choosing containers to plant organic seedlings the containers themselves should be thoroughly cleaned to ensure no pollution occurs(Mason, 2004). This again is one of the many disadvantages of organic nurseries, which if not observed can lead to great losses. Substrates Handreck et al, (2002) describes substrates as additions made to the top soil, they can be organic or non-organic. However in the case of organic ornamental plants only organic substrates are allowed it should be noted that this doesn’t mean that seedlings in nurseries will always develop good root system. This only happens in the employment of good physical and chemical properties. A good organic substrate should be light in weight, and easy to move to the final seedling destination. The substrate should be able to hold, the seedling firmly in placeduring transportation(Newman, 2008). Accordingly a substrate should be able to retain enough moisture, to reduce the amount of water used. At the same time the substrate should be porous enough to drain out excessive water. In addition to this a substrate should have allow good aeration of the roots and be free from seeds, nematodes and diseases. Hay, (2008) confirms that a good substrate should have the ability to be sterilized without losing its main properties this should be accompanied by enough nutrients. As such it is critical that substrates in use do not have very high levels of salinity and PH. Also substrates should not shrink or crust excessively. To ensure these factors, a nursery manager should calculate the water holding porosity, airing porosity that is the entire porosity (Hay, 2008). To do this employment of the following mathematical equations is encouraged Total porosity (%) = total pore volume/container volume*100 Aeration porosity (%) = aeration pore volume/container volume *100 Water holding porosity (%) = total porosity- aeration porosity Most organic farmers prefer compost as a substrate since it’s well balanced and rich in nutrients however the challenge comes about when deciding how much substrate should be use(Handreck et al, 2002).To calculate the amount of substrate needed when mixing soil, you start with the volume of the container and the number of containers Volume =hr2-squared (Height x 1/2 diameter squared x 3.1416). During the preparation of organic ornamental nurseries only organic fertilizers can be used. Great care should be observed in preparation and collection of these organic fertilizers to prevent any possible cause of pollution. Organic fertilizers Types of organic fertilizers vary greatly with the source or the components of the manure (Miller et al, 2005). Animal manure- nutrient composition is greatly determined by the animal source and season. Verification of the source conducts is important to ensure that the farm does not engage in GMO processed feeds (Miller et al, 2005). This has in the past been seen to have an effect on the purposed organic plants causing mutations in some occasions. Once the manure has been acquired it should be given space of time six to ten weeks to reduce the risk of destroying the seedlings as a result of high nitrogen. Test the manure by placing a sample on a black plastic bag, seal and leave it for 24hrs and in a dark location. If it heats up and there is still a high reek of ammonia ones the bag is opened the manure is not ready for use(Garret et al, 2012).Concerning an organic nursery the manure should be isolated properly to avoid insects and weeds taking advantage as a way of reaching the seedlings. Composted green matter: - concerning compost manure it is advisable to do a chemical test before use (Milleret al, 2005). This is because the compost is quality is determined by the components use to prepare it and in some cases compost pits are used by different people who throw all manner of things into the compost. Miller et al, (2005) further observes that a nursery manager, should be careful therefore when preparing an organic compost pit and even more careful when buying compost since there is a high possibility of synthetic contamination. Animal waste- this is made of animal byproducts e.g. bone meal, fishmeal, chicken feathers and hoof meal. These fertilizers are valued for their gradual leaching process releasing nutrients into substrates. Keeping with this Miller et al, (2005) they are rich in phosphorus and are known to influence increase substrate porosity. Nursery and seedling hygiene- it can be confidently argued that the cost in relation to time and knowledge required to maintain a healthy organic nursery is relatively higher than those in conservative or inorganic farms. According to Garret et al (2012) this is made so by the fact that organic farms have to train their workers on the operations of both systems in order the staff can be able to avoid any accidents that would lead to contamination. Nursery hygiene To keep an organic nursery healthy, nursery managers are traditionally expected to apply both curative and preventive measures. According to Newman, (2008)thesetwo approaches should go along with good use of measured organic manure, use of resistant organic species, cleanliness combined with timely hardening of plants. A manager responsible for an organic farm is expected to ensure that his staffs are not only educated on the curative actions but they put more emphasis on preventive measures. To prevent organic nursery contamination: - all entry points into the nursery should be controlled effectively (Hay, 2008). This entry points include; Propagation facilities like-containers, flats, knives, secateurs, working surface and boxes.to avoid this nursery area should be cleared of weed to keep away pests. Keep all tools and workers uniforms clean at all times. Propagation substrates- methods for treating substrate for organic nurseries is are limited by the fact that all synthetic materials are to be avoided this leaves the nursery manager with few options like sterilization also known as pasteurization with hot steam or sunlight. This process of using sunlight is called solarization. The nursery soil is covered when moist with transparent polythene sheets on it is known that the sun can raise their temperature up to 70°C or more pasteurizing the soil Irrigation water- water used in case of conventional nurseries can be sterilized with chlorine. However for organic nurseries the farm manager must develop a system of storing and testing the water regularly to avoid contamination or infections like damping off. Planting stock:- seeds cuttings scions and rootstocks - in this case planting materials from other nurseries should before any propagation is done once this has been proved to be ok the surface should be sterilized on all new materials .culling should be effected the moment diseased plants are spotted and burnt. Shoes and clothing: - all staff members should be dressed appropriately for each separate nursery. Each nursery should be installed with a dip basin to kill nematodes and others infections that hold on the shoes. Other methods used to prevent plant contamination are ensuring the plants are healthy with use of well fertilized and properly irrigated to increase the plants overall health status enabling the seedling to fight diseases(Garret et al, 2012). Nursery managers should ensure the seedlings are not to densely populate. It is however more important if the seedling s are timely hardened this gives the plants the ability to stop infections. During acquiring of seed the nursery manager should ensure that all susceptible species are avoided. However cleanliness on its own is paramount so staff should be well trained and warned on this appropriately. Actions to cure infected plants: - the organic nursery manager in such cases is seen to experience less solution in such a case unlike a conventional one. It is with this in mind that preventive measures are called for more than other measures. However In instances of where pests have attacked the seedlings laborers can be hired to pick the pests out physically this can be doubled with introduction of biological agents like parasitic wasps. Conclusion Considering its uses less foliage energy, in comparison to conventional methods one can argue that it is not environmentally friendly but also conservative in nature. Howeverconventionalist has argued that. The potential for bio energy production is however higher in conventional than in organic farming. Fully utilizing this conventional farming apparently has a more favorable energy balance and a lower net greenhouse gas emission than organic farming If this practice of organic farming is it ornamental or food based will survive what is most important is ensuring that organic seed are not run out by GMOs through cross pollination.Preservation of organic seeds must be evaluated if this culture will be sustainable. References Handreck, K. & Black, N. (2002).Growing media for ornamental plants and turf. Sydney, NSW, Australia: University of New South Wales Press. Lockeretz, W. (2007). Organic farming: an international history. Wallingford, UK Cambridge, MA: CABI. Lichtfouse, E. (2011). Sustainable agriculture. Dordrecht New York: Springer. Paul & John (2008) organic plants development.Journal of organic systems 3(2): 2-17 Mason, J. (2004). Nursery management. Collingwood, Vic: Landlinks Press. Newman, J. (2008). Greenhouse and nursery management practices to protect water quality. Oakland, CA: University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. Todd D (2012). Are organic crops feasible? Retrieved from http://www.nurserymanagementonline.com/Article.aspx?art Garrett H., Ferguson J., & Amaranths, M. (2012). Organic management for the professional: the natural way for landscape architects and contractors, commercial growers, golf course managers, park administrators, turf managers, and other stewards of the land. Austin: University of Texas Press. Hay, S. (2008). Essential nursery management: a practitioner's guide. London New York: Routledge/Nursery World. Read More