Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:24:36.502Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Plant growth with nutrient solutions: II. A comparison of pure sand and fresh soil as the aggregate for plant growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Rowland Marcus Woodman
Affiliation:
Horticultural Research Station, School of Agriculture, Cambridge
Delphine Ainslie Johnson
Affiliation:
Horticultural Research Station, School of Agriculture, Cambridge

Extract

Statistical experiments have been carried out as pot cultures in the greenhouse, with sand and soil as the aggregates (nutrients being supplied to both aggregates in the form of nutrient solutions), on the growth of the two vegetables turnip and spring cabbage to the stage of maturity usual in actual practice. With full nutrients, the soil, possibly because of such factors as its nutrient reserves, its physical properties, and its capacity for retaining certain nutritional elements supplied, was superior to the sand as judged by yields of fresh and dry matter for tops and whole plants of both vegetables, and roots for the turnip, thus including the edible portion ofboth plants; the (true) root of the cabbage, however, yielded more in the sand under these conditions. Similar results were obtained even when the concentrations of the nutrients for the soil were only half those in the full nutrient solution applied to the sand, so that it may be stated that fresh soil is greatly superior to sand under equal conditions as an aggregate in the growth of vegetables with nutrient solutions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1946

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

‘“AnalaR” Standards’ (1934).Google Scholar
Ellis, C. & Swaney, M. W. (1938). Soilless Growth of Plants. New York: Reinhold Publ. Corp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gericke, W. F. (1940). The Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening. New York: Prentice-Hall Inc.Google Scholar
Johnson, D. A. & Woodman, R. M. (1946). J. Agric. Sci. 36, 6979.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matlin, D. (1939). Growing Plants without Soil. New York: Chem. Publ. Co., Inc.Google Scholar
Phillips, A. H. (1941). Gardening without Soil. London: C. A. Pearson, Ltd.Google Scholar
Turner, W. & Henry, V. M. (1939). Growing Plants in Nutrient Solutions, or Scientifically Controlled Growth. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Wolkoff, M. (1918). Soil Sci. 5, 421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodman, R. M. (1936). Sands, Clays and Minerals, 3, 22.Google Scholar
Woodman, R. M. (1939). J. Agric. Sci. 29, 229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodman, R. M. (1941 a). Ann. Appl. Biol. 28, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodman, R. M. (1941 b). Ann. Appl. Biol. 28, 181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodman, R. M. & Johnson, D. A. (1944). J. Agric. Sci. 34, 82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar