Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Combination effects of the use of hydrophilic polymer for green roof substrate and rainy season condition on growth and biomass partitioning of Aster koraiensis

Author(s):

Hui Xu ¹, Yong-Han Yoon ¹, Eun-Young Choi ¹, Hyun-Kyu Kang ², Jin-Hee Ju ¹*

Recieved Date: 2014-01-22, Accepted Date: 2014-03-24

Abstract:

This study aimed to determine combination effects of the use of water-retention additive and hydrophilic polymer for green roof substrate and rainy season condition on growth and biomass partitioning Aster koraiensis Nakai. Fifty seedlings of Aster koraiensis Nakai were transplanted in each of five square containers (100 cm (L) × 100 cm (W) × 30 cm (H)) built on the roof platforms in randomised complete block design in the 22^nd of May, 2013. Five different contents of hydrophilic polymer including 0% (referred as control), 1.0%, 2.5%, 5.0% and 10% (polymer: medium (w/w), dry weight basis) were added to each of the five containers filled with 100 kg of growth medium. Drought condition was imposed by withholding irrigation after transplanting. In results, excessively high moisture content, about 100%, was found in the substrate under elevated hydrophilic polymer treatment 2.5%, 5.0% and 10%, during the entire growing period. The shoot growth and visual quality at the later growth stage were severely impeded, indicating that those contents are too high to be used for growing Aster koraiensis Nakai plant. The moisture content of the substrate containing 1.0% of hydrophilic polymer was higher about 20% in the range between 70% and 80%, compared to that of control substrate in the range between 50% and 60% for 27 days after transplanting prior to abundant rainfall, indicating that the application of hydrophilic polymer to the green roof substrate is effective to eliminate drought condition by retaining water in the substrate. However, the substrate treated with the 1.0% hydrophilic polymer started increasing its moisture content greater than 95% after the monsoon rainfall at the 18^th of June, resulting in lower plant growth, flowering and visual quality than those of control plants. Under no limiting water conditions, the use of hydrophilic polymer, even at 1.0% content, adversely affects the growth of a drought-tolerant plant, Aster koraiensis Nakai. These results suggest that advantage of the addition of hydrophilic polymer may be greater in drought-intolerant plants in areas receiving monsoon rainfall during summer season.

Keywords:

Hydrophilic polymer, green roof, Aster koraiensis Nakai, plant growth, volumetric water content, biomass partitioning

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2014
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Category: Environment
Pages: 1177-1181

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