Trickle irrigation and media effects on growth of chrysanthemum morifolium ramat

A GRID OF 1.27 CM POLYETHYLENE TUBES WITH OUTLETS EVERY 40 CM (OR GREATER, DEPENDING ON THE CROP) HAS BEEN USED TO APPLY WATER BY TRICKEL IRRIGATION CROPS. WITH DUPONT "VIAFLO" SPUNBONDED POLYETHYLENE IRRIGATION TUBING, WATER CAN BE BANDED LIKE FERTILIZER THROUGHOUT THE COMPLETE LENGTH OF THE TUBE. A COMPLETE NUTRIENT SOLUTION CAN BE INJECTED INTO THE IRRIGATION WATER TO ELIMINATE WATER AND NUTRIENT STRESSES. WITH THIS SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION, THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO ROOTS CAN BECOME A LIMITING FACTOR IN SOIL. BY USING MEDIA OF LARGE PARTICLE SIZE, LACK OF AERATION CAN BE REDUCED. THUS OPTIMUM GROWTH TAKES PLACE WHEN AIR, NUTRIENTS, AND WATER ARE PRESENT IN OPTIMUM PROPORTIONS IN THE RHIZOSPHERE FOR THE CROP BEING GROWN. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE AND IRRIGATION FREQUENCY ON THE GROWTH OF CHRYSANTHEMUM MORIFOLIUM RAMAT., USING A COMPLETE NUTRIENT SOLUTION AS IRRIGATION WATER AND INCINERATED ANTHRACITE REFUSE (IAR) AND GATESBURG SAND AS MEDIA. THE EFFECTS ARE DETAILED AND DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT.