Reducing Anion Nutrient Leaching Losses from a Short-Cycle Container-Grown Crop (Tagetes patula) Using Activated Aluminum

Short-cycle horticulture crops often rely on fertigation to provide immediately available nutrients. This practice poses an environmental threat when nutrients, particularly phosphorus, leach from containers and enter waterways. One method that could be used reduce the loss of phosphorus other key anions horticultural is incorporating activated aluminum into container substrates. study investigates incorporation three rates a pine bark substrate, effects this amendment may have leachate nutrient content growth popular short-cycle crop (Tagetes patula, French marigold). The addition reduced cumulative mass in by 69–96% compared standard substrate. index subjective plant quality scores Tagetes were equivalent between aluminum-amended substrates only substrates, all cases, producing salable, crop. demonstrates effective way environment without sacrificing quality.