Uso dei concimi a cessione controllata per una gestione economica ed ecosostenibile del vivaismo ornamentale

Low nutrient and water use efficiencies are two main problems on the production of Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock (HONS) plants, in the district of Pistoia (Tuscany, Italy). The aim of this research was to compare the effects of the traditional fertigation (CONTROL) respect to the use of two different controlled slow-release fertilizers (CRFs; STANDARD treatment = OSMOCOTE Exact™ Standard+OSMOCOTE Top Dress™; Hi.END treatment:= Osmocote Exact Hi.End™), on plant growth, nitrogen and phosphorus run-off in two potted HONS species (Photinia x fraseri and Prunus laurocerasus). Every week, plant height, cumulate irrigation and drainage volumes were measured on four replicates for each treatment and species. Drainage samples were also analyzed for their content on nitrogen and phosphorus in order to calculate the cumulated nutrient run-off. The three different fertilization strategies did not produce any relevant effect on the final plant height and all plants were ranked in the top quality market category.The data confirmed that the use of CRFs could contribute to a huge reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus run-off in the environment and could be a winning strategy for the fertilization of HONS in the nitrate vulnerable zones.