Jm. Dangler, LIME APPLICATIONS INCREASE EXTENDED SWEET-POTATO TRANSPLANT PRODUCTION IN HEATED BEDS, Journal of plant nutrition, 16(11), 1993, pp. 2281-2288
This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of aged pine me
dia (sawdust and bark) and lime amendments (0.0, 2.2, and 4.4 kg/m(3))
on the production of 'Georgia Jet' sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.)
Lam.] transplants at four harvests. At the first harvest, transplant p
roduction with aged pine sawdust and aged pine bark increased quadrati
caly and linearly, respectively, with increasing lime rates. Aged pine
media did not differ in their effects on transplant number or mean tr
ansplant weight and length at the early (first two harvests) or extend
ed (four harvests) harvest periods. Transplant numbers increased linea
rly, but mean transplant length decreased linearly with lime applicati
on during both periods. A reduction in mean transplant weight was also
observed. The results of this experiment provide evidence that the po
sitive effect of amending aged pine sawdust and bark with lime continu
es through an extended harvest period. Transplant production, however,
decreased considerably following the second harvest. Greatest early-
and extended-season transplant yields were 1840 and 2200 transplants/m
(2), respectively. Media pH or leaf mineral nutrient concentrations di
d not adequately reflect the yield responses.