Growing Media in Organic Seedling Production
Abstract
Vegetable seedlings are produced in specialized commercial nurseries. Peat is the most common growing medium used in seedling production. In organic agriculture, organic seeds and plant material should be used according to the EU Regulation No 834/2007. However, there is no restriction in the use of peat in the growing media in the Regulation although there is a comment on peat as a limited natural resource and restriction of its use with the approach of sustainability of organic agriculture. In fact, Bio Suisse Standards recommends restricting the use of peat for the cultivation of planting material no more than 70% peat. Thus, during the last two decades many researches have been conducted on the use different by-products or compost alone or as a part of a mixture as peat substitute. This review aims to bring the researches on peat alternatives in organic seedling production and their effects on different vegetable crops.
Keywords
References
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