• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2003

Cellular glass foam (CGF), the reprocessed glass, has a possibility to be used as a medium component in plug culture of horticultural crops due to the its excellent air and water permeability as comparable to perlite. An experiment was conducted to investigate growth of plug seedlings of Lycopersicum esculentum 'Segye' as influenced by irrigation frequency in various medium combinations of CGF (2.0-4.0 mm particle size) and peatmoss. Seeds were sown in 200-cell plug trays, filled with mixtures of CGF and peatmoss either at 33：67 or 25：75 (％. v/v) and were germinated on a fogged propagation bed. The irrigation frequencies used were one, two or three times per every two days. A commercial plug medium (Tosilee medium) was used as the control, and the irrigation frequency in the control was one time per day. Growth of seedlings, and medium pH and EC were measured at 33 days after sowing. The medium composition had little influence on overall growth of seedlings. Irrigation frequency very significant affected number of leaves, leaf area, chlorophyll concentration, fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots, and dry matter. Growth of seedlings was the greatest with the highest irrigation frequency in the 25% CGF＋75% peatmoss mixture.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2004

This study was conducted in a commercial plug glasshouse in Sacheon to examine the possibility of producing tomato plug seedlings using various growing media containing cellular glass foam (CGF)and carbonized chestnut woodchips (CCW) as medium components. Plug seedlings of 'Seogun' tomato were grown in media containing 50% CCW＋50% peatmoss, 33% CGF＋67% peatmoss, and 50% peatmoss＋50% granular rockwool. A commercial plug medium (Tosilee) was used as the control. All seeds were sown in 200 cell plug trays on November 28, 2001. Seedling growth was measured at 31 days after sowing. Each treatment showed a similar growth result as compared to the control. Plant height, root grade, fresh weight, and air space and bulk density of the medium were significantly greater in the 33% CGF＋67% peatmoss treatment than those in the other media. However, growth was slightly suppressed in the 50% CCW＋50% peatmoss. pH and EC of the media were the highest in the control treatment, although no toxicity symptoms had been observed. The results suggest that perlite can be replaced with a new material such as CGF in the commercial scale production of plug seedlings of 'Seogun' tomato.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.302-306
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• 2005

This Study was Conducted in 3 glasshouse to examine the Possibility for cultivation of plug seedlings using four growing media containing recycled PET-bottle-particles (PBT) as a medium component. Plug seedlings of 'Seokwang' tomato were grown in media containing $100\%$ PBT, $100\%$ peatmoss, or $50\%$ $PBT+50\%$ peatmoss. A commercial plug medium (Tosilee) was used as the control. All seeds were sown in 128 cell plug trays on July 12, 2004. Seedling growth was measured at 30 days after sowing. Percent seed germination was greater than 95% in all treatments. Plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights, leaf area, and hypocotyl length were the greatest in the control treatment. Root length and weight were the greatest in the $100\%$ PBT treatment, which had a medium pH of 7.3. Leaf area and shoot dry weight were greater in the $50\%$ $PBT+50\%$ peatmoss treatment, than in the $100\%$ PBT treatment, while they were the smallest in the $100\%$ peatmoss treatment. No toxicity symptoms caused by the use or PBT had been observed in any treatment. The results suggest a possibility of recycled PBT, a valuable reusable resource, to be used as a component for medium amendments in horticultural transplant production.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2007

This experiment was carried out to develop the substrate mixtures for the production of high quality plug seedlings of cucumber. Peatmoss based substrates, rice hull, carbonized rice hull, decomposed sawdust, perlite and granular rockwool were mixed by five different mixing ratioes (M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5). The cultivars used were cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Janghyung heukjinju) plants. The higher the content of peatmoss added, the higher the plant growth in terms of plant height, leaf area and total dry weight, which leading to the production of high quality plug seedlings. Seedlings growth of cucumber were greater in M5 mixtures [peatmoss:rice hull:decomposed sawdust=40:40:20(v/v)], M4 mixtures [peatmoss:rice hull:decomposed sawdust:granular rockwool=30:25:20:25(v/v)] and M2 mixtures [peatmoss:rice hull:decomposed sawdust:granular rockwool=20:20:15:25:20(v/v)] The concentrations of nutrient solution (EC) had a great influence on plant height, leaf area, total fresh and dry weight of cucumber seedlings growth. As the concentration of nutrient solution increased from 0.1 to $1.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, the growth and seedling quality of cucumber in plant height, leaf area and dry weight were significantly improved.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2012

This study was conducted in a glasshouse to examine the possibility of producing tomato plug seedlings in a newly-developed inert phenolic foam medium. Plug seedlings of 'Madison' tomato were grown in four pellet type media, Grodan rockwool, UR rockwool, phenolic foam LC, and phenolic foam LC-lite. Seed germination was checked for 7 days. Seedling growth was measured at 19 days after sowing. The greatest germination was obtained in the phenolic foam LC and phenolic foam LC-lite. Plant height, hypocotyl length, leaf area, dry weight, and fresh weight were significantly greater in the rockwool medium than those in the other media. However, the T/R ratio and stem diameter were the greatest in the phenolic foam LC than those in the other media. The total porosity and container capacity of the phenolic foam LC was higher than in the other media. The air space (%) was lowest in the phenolic foam LC. Overall, the phenolic foam LC and phenolic foam LC-lite produced seedlings with similar growth as the rockwool. These results suggested that both phenolic foam LC and phenolic foam LC-lite have potential to be used in production of plug seedlings of 'Madison' tomato.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.678-686
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• 1997

This experiment was carried out to develop the mass propagation system for producing plug plantlets using stem cuttings of virus-tree microtubers in potato. Cocopeat, vermiculite, perlite and peatmoss were combined and used as plug nursery media to find out the best combination suitable for the growth of seedlings derived from microtubers. Seedling growth was favored in high temperature (above 2$0^{\circ}C$) and a long-day photoperiod(above 16 hours) condition, while stolons and microtubers formed in outdoor condition. Shoot and root multiplication was not affected by NAA 10mg /1 or IAA 10mg /1 treatment. At the early growth stage of plug plantlets, the number of leaves and roots and the length of root increased significantly when nodes from the upper (near to apex) part of shoots rather than from basal part were taken. But after transplanting, these differences among these characters were not observed. At ninety days after transplanting the plug plantlets in spring time, plant was around 70 to 80cm in height, and the number of stolons and tubers were ten and seven, respectively.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.325-328
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• 2001

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of plug cell volume and medium on rooting and growth of lateral shoot cuttings of a few tomato cultivars. Plug cell volume was varied from 23 to 300 mL or control (cutting bed) and media used were carbonized rice hull (CRH), CRH+perlite, CRH+peatmoss and perlite+peatmoss. Nursery plants were able to be transplanted in 15 to 20 days after lateral shoots cutting in tomato. In volume of cutting media, the pots of 23 to 300 mL were proper, although root growth was gradually limited in decreased media volume. Rooting and growth was not influenced by plug tray cell medium of 120 mL or more. Cherry tomato Pepe (c.v.) showed 100% rooting and better growth, while in Momotaro (c.v.) rooting was 90%. There were 100% rooting and no considerable changes grown in all media tested of cutting plug tray volume of 30 mL.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.256-261
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• 2013

The spacing between plug cells and cell volume of each plug cell for nursing tomato seedlings were studied to know the effects on seedling growth and early yield. There were four treatments. The spacing of plug cells was done (OK) or not (NO) in case of cell spacing. The cell number in a plug tray was set to 40 or 50 in case of cell volume. The growth environment and irrigation regime were the same in all of the treatments during the experiment period. The photosynthetic rates, seedling qualities, yield and yield speed were significantly affected by both of the treatments. The photosynthetic rates and seedling qualities were the best in 40S-OK following by 50S-OK, 40S-NO, and 50S-NO while the yield was the best in 40S-OK following by 40S-NO, 50S-OK, 50S-NO. It means the spacing gives more impact than the cell volume in the stage of nursing but the cell volume gives more impact than the spacing after the stage of nursing. In the conclusion the spacing of plug cells in appropriate nursing stage is needed with the appropriate cell volume to make high quality of seedlings and high yield.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2007

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of the different mixing ratios of substrate mixtures based on peat moss and the concentration of nutrient solution on the growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seedlings. Substrates such as peat moss, rice hull, carbonized rice hull, decomposed sawdust, perlite and granular rock wool were mixed and used. The concentration of nutrient solution were adjusted to EC $0.5{\sim}1.5mS/cm$. The volumetric moisture contents became higher as peat moss mixed were much more. Total porosities in all substrate mixtures were over 80%, and pH in substrate mixtures became lower as the volume of peat moss mixed higher. Mixing ratios of substrates suitable for the production of tomato seedlings with the higher quality were peat moss:rice hull:carbonized rice hull:decomposed sawdust:perlite=25:10:25:20:20(v/v). The plant growth was not significant among the different substrate mixtures. However, plant growth such as plant height, leaf area, and total dry weight became significantly increased as EC increasing.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.523-528
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• 2000

Plug seedlings of Petunia hybrida 'Madness Rose' and Viola tricolor 'Magestic GT' were cultured in media containing various volume ratios of recycled plug medium, recycled coir, perlite, granular rockwool, and vermiculite for 36 and 43 days after sowing, respectively. Recycled plug medium and recycled coir were steam pasteurized for 30 minutes at $120^{\circ}C$ and 1.5 atmosphere. An unused commercial plug medium (Tosilee, pH 5.10, EC $0.12mS{\cdot}cm^{-1}$ at 1:5 dilution, v/v, Shinan Grow Co.) was used as the control. The pH of different media before and after growing seedlings was similar. Medium EC was high when recycled plug medium was included. Recycled coir (75%)＋vermiculite (25%) mixture also had high medium EC. However, medium EC was low when granular rockwool or perlite was included. Height, root formation, shoot dry weight and leaf count (ea) of petunia, and height, total fresh and dry weights, and shoot fresh and root dry weights of pansy were the highest in recycled coir (75%)＋perlite (25%) mixture. Recycled coir was better than recycled plug medium in physicochemical properties, and also in resultant plant growth. It is recommended to include perlite or granular rockwool when plug media including recycled horticultural media are prepared.