Wise Water Use for Container Production

Wise Water Use for Container Production

Jim Owen, Jr.

North Willamette Research andExtension Center

Water will be the ‘oil’ of the 21st century!

avoca.vicnet.net.au/.../WATER_CALCULATOR.jpg

Irrigation DecisionsHow much?

Leaching fractionCyclic irrigation

How often?Growth Stage SubstrateGrouping

When?Time of Day

How much?

0.5 to 1.0 inch

Leaching FractionLeaching Fraction = Volume Leached / Volume Applied

Irrigation volume determined by plant and substrate

Leaching Fraction

Lined or sealed Sealed outside pot

Leaching Fraction = Volume Leached / Volume Applied

Bilderback, personal communication

Total Water Applied for container diameter area is measured as “total volume” to calculate leaching fraction

Bilderback, personal communication

Leaching Fraction ~ 0.20Bilderback, personal communication

Plastic bags work for leaching fractions too!

Water Applied Water Leached

Leaching fraction

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.1 0.2

Days afterinitiation

3575115

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (g

al)

Leaching fraction (leached / applied)Owen. 2006

Leaching fraction

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.1 0.2


3575115

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (g

al)

Leaching fraction (leached / applied)

7 gal per container

Owen. 2006

Leaching fraction

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.1 0.2


3575115

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (g

al)

Leaching fraction (leached / applied)

7 gal per container90,000 gallons of

water saved per growing acre while

maintaining growth

Owen. 2006

Leaching fractionAdvantages

Based on plant needDisadvantages

Management

Cyclic Irrigation

Total water applied daily divided equally and applied in intervals to minimize water channeling and maximize substrate rewetting

Cyclic Irrigation

Lateral unsaturated flow

Wetting front

0.2leaching fraction

1st irrigation cycle(some channeling)

2nd irrigation cycle 3rd irrigation cycle

Ted Bilderback (personal communication)

Cyclic irrigation

Fain, Tilt, Sibley. 2000. Less is More! Highlights of Agriculture Research

red maple

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 3 6Irrigation cycles

Sh

oo

t d

ry w

t (o

z)red maple

Cyclic irrigation

Fain, Tilt, Sibley. 2000. Less is More! Highlights of Agriculture Research

red maple

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 3 6Irrigation cycles

Sh

oo

t d

ry w

t (o

z)

25% increase in dry weight

150% increase (0.5 in) in red maple caliper

Cyclic IrrigationAdvantages

Increases plant growth Increase water use efficiencyIncreases nutrient use efficiency

DisadvantagesIrrigation timingManagement

How often?

Plant Growth Stage

Growth stage or production phaseTransplant / shiftGrowingSalable

Plant Growth Stage

Transplant / shift

Plant Growth Stage

Growing / production

Plant Growth Stage

Sale / Holding / Retail

Substrate

Water buffering capacityDouglas fir bark texture

• Particle size

Amendments• Clay• Peat• Coir

Substrate Texture

0

2

4

6

Hei

ght (

inch

es)

medium fine

Owen and Altland. 2006.

Substrate Texture

32% (70 mL)

49% (108 mL)

37% (77 mL)

0

2

4

6

Hei

ght (

inch

es)

medium fine


Substrate Texture

32% (70 mL)

49% (108 mL)

37% (77 mL)

0

2

4

6

Hei

ght (

inch

es)

36% (76 mL)

62% (138 mL)

43% (89 mL)

medium fine


Substrate Amendment

Substrate Amendment

0

10

20

30

40

50

8% Clay 11% Sand


3570110

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (

gal)

Pine bark amendment (by vol.)Owen. 2006

Substrate Amendment

0

10

20

30

40

50

8% Clay 11% Sand


3570110

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (

gal)

Pine bark amendment (by vol.)

8 gal per container

Owen. 2006

Substrate Amendment

0

10

20

30

40

50

8% Clay 11% Sand


3570110

Cum

ala

tive

wat

er a

pplie

d (

gal)

Pine bark amendment (by vol.)

107,000 gallons of water saved per growing acre

while maximizing growth

Owen. 2006

What time of day to apply irrigationPre-dawnAMPMAll day

Irrigation timing

Irrigation timing

c b a b

Irrigation timing – micro-irrigation

Warren and Bilderback. 2002. J. Environ. Hort

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Pre-dawn

AM PM All day

Co

ton

east

er d

ry w

eig

ht

(g)

c b a b



0123456789

10

11:00 AM 1:30 PM 4:30 PM

Co

ton

east

er P

ho

tosy

nth

esis

Pre-dawnAMPMAll day



20

25

30

35

40

45

50

7:00

AM

9:00

AM

11:0

0 AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

5:00

PM

7:00

PM

9:00

PM

11:0

0 PM

1:00

AM

Su

bs

tra

te t

em

pe

ratu

re (

C)

PMpre-dawn



20

25

30

35

40

45

50

7:00

AM

9:00

AM

11:0

0 AM

1:00

PM

3:00

PM

5:00

PM

7:00

PM

9:00

PM

11:0

0 PM

1:00

AM

Su

bs

tra

te t

em

pe

ratu

re (

C)

PMpre-dawn

3:00 PM

11:00 PM

Irrigation timing

c b a b

Irrigation timing - overhead

Williamson et al. 2005. SNA

0

50

100

150

200

250

Co

ton

east

er

dry

wei

gh

t (g

)

Pre-Dawn

All Day

PM

aab



20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1 7 13 19 1 7 13 19 1 7 13 19

pre-dawnall daypm

Su

bst

rate

tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Aug 26 Aug 27 Aug 28

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

pre-dawnall daypm



Su

bst

rate

Tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Aug 26 Aug 27

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

pre-dawnall daypm



Su

bst

rate

Tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Aug 26 Aug 27

12:0012:00

3:003:00

6:006:00

Pre-DawnPre-Dawn

20

25

30

35

40

45

50pre-dawnall daypm



Su

bst

rate

Tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Aug 26 Aug 27

3:00 3:00 AMAM

9:00 9:00 PMPM

Irrigation timing

AdvantagesIncreases plant growth Regulate substrate temperatureIncrease water use efficiency

DisadvantagesIrrigation timingManagement

Plant GroupingGroup plants by similar water use to increase

irrigation efficiency

Plant GroupingGroup by:

Size• Container

• Plant

Species• Plant type

• Water needs

Architecture

Plant Architecture


How does the architecture of a plant’s canopy affect its demands for overhead irrigation?

Plant Architecture


0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

22 29 32 40 47 49 54 66 73 82 92 99 105

Days After Initiation

Dai

ly V

olum

e ap

plie

d (m

l)

CotoneasterVitex

Plant Architecture


Cotoneaster Cotoneaster dammeridammeri ‘Skogholm‘Skogholm

Vitex trifoliaVitex trifolia ‘Variegata‘Variegata’’

Plant Architecture


60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

260

33 50 72 92 105

Days

Per

cen

tage

irri

gati

on C

aptu

re

CotoneasterGardenia

Cotoneaster Cotoneaster dammeridammeri ‘Skogholm‘Skogholm

Gardenia augustaGardenia augusta ‘Chuck Hayes’‘Chuck Hayes’

Plant Architecture


0

200

400

600

800

1000

60

110

160

210

260

33 50 72 92 105

CotoneasterGardeniaVitex

Daily Volume Applied (L)Daily Volume Applied (L) Percentage Capture (%)Percentage Capture (%)

Plastic bag method

FIELDQUANTIFICATION OF

SUBSTRATE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Cook, A., T. Bilderback, and M. Lorscheider. 2004. Physical Property Measurements in Container Substrates: A Field Quantification Strategy. Southern Nursery Association Research Proceedings 49:102-104

Field Quantification

Why?Check Bark supplyExperiment with new componentsAffect of how you pot

Cook et al. 2004. SNA


Known container volume



Fill, pack, remove excess



Saturate with known volume = total porosity(weight can also be used)



Drain a known volume = air space



Container Capacity = total porosity - air space



Bulk Density = dry weight / container volume



WhyCheck Bark supplyExperiment with new componentsAffect of how you pot

http://www.sna.org/research/04proceedings/04proceedingspdfs/ResProcSec01.pdf


North Willamette Research andExtension Center

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/NWREC/images/aerial2.jpg

Wise Water Use for Container Production

Technology

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