The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems
An important strategy for meeting global landscape restoration goals is nursery production of high-quality seedlings. Growing seedlings with attributes that promote post-planting survival and growth can be dramatically influenced by the nursery container system. In many countries, nurseries produce...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/8/826 |
| _version_ | 1797523219122487296 |
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| author | Diane L. Haase Karma Bouzza Lucy Emerton James B. Friday Becca Lieberg Arnulfo Aldrete Anthony S. Davis |
| author_facet | Diane L. Haase Karma Bouzza Lucy Emerton James B. Friday Becca Lieberg Arnulfo Aldrete Anthony S. Davis |
| author_sort | Diane L. Haase |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An important strategy for meeting global landscape restoration goals is nursery production of high-quality seedlings. Growing seedlings with attributes that promote post-planting survival and growth can be dramatically influenced by the nursery container system. In many countries, nurseries produce seedlings in polybags filled with excavated soil. These seedlings often develop deformed roots with limited fibrosity which can lead to poor survival and growth after outplanting. Polybags are initially inexpensive but using these single-use plastic containers accrues expenses that are often untracked. Comparisons among nursery production systems must account for factors such as container longevity, labor efficiency, and seedling field performance. A more holistic approach to account for environmental, economic, social, logistic, and cultural elements in the cost–benefit equation that influences nursery production systems is needed. Converting to a modern container system requires concomitant adjustments in nursery scheduling and culturing matched to the new stock type. Doing so provides an opportunity to align nursery production techniques and resulting seedling attributes with anticipated field conditions. This article describes and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of nursery production systems and provides recommendations and case studies to aid nurseries in improving seedling quality toward meeting restoration goals in a cost-effective and timely manner. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:40:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b146719133cd4bec8b6c2d72b81fef73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:40:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-b146719133cd4bec8b6c2d72b81fef732023-11-22T08:21:01ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-08-0110882610.3390/land10080826The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production SystemsDiane L. Haase0Karma Bouzza1Lucy Emerton2James B. Friday3Becca Lieberg4Arnulfo Aldrete5Anthony S. Davis6Reforestation, Nurseries and Genetic Resources, USDA Forest Service, Portland, OR 97204, USAIndependent Researcher, Beirut, LebanonEnvironmental Economics and Finance, Environment Management Group, Cambridge CB3 9EG, UKCollege of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Hilo, HI 96720, USAIndependent Researcher, Rebecca Lieberg Consulting, Virgin, UT 84779, USADepartment of Forestry, Colegio de Postgraduados, Texcoco 56230, MexicoCollege of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USAAn important strategy for meeting global landscape restoration goals is nursery production of high-quality seedlings. Growing seedlings with attributes that promote post-planting survival and growth can be dramatically influenced by the nursery container system. In many countries, nurseries produce seedlings in polybags filled with excavated soil. These seedlings often develop deformed roots with limited fibrosity which can lead to poor survival and growth after outplanting. Polybags are initially inexpensive but using these single-use plastic containers accrues expenses that are often untracked. Comparisons among nursery production systems must account for factors such as container longevity, labor efficiency, and seedling field performance. A more holistic approach to account for environmental, economic, social, logistic, and cultural elements in the cost–benefit equation that influences nursery production systems is needed. Converting to a modern container system requires concomitant adjustments in nursery scheduling and culturing matched to the new stock type. Doing so provides an opportunity to align nursery production techniques and resulting seedling attributes with anticipated field conditions. This article describes and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of nursery production systems and provides recommendations and case studies to aid nurseries in improving seedling quality toward meeting restoration goals in a cost-effective and timely manner.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/8/826seedling qualitylandscape restorationcost-effective reforestationtarget plant concept |
| spellingShingle | Diane L. Haase Karma Bouzza Lucy Emerton James B. Friday Becca Lieberg Arnulfo Aldrete Anthony S. Davis The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems Land seedling quality landscape restoration cost-effective reforestation target plant concept |
| title | The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems |
| title_full | The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems |
| title_fullStr | The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems |
| title_short | The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems |
| title_sort | high cost of the low cost polybag system a review of nursery seedling production systems |
| topic | seedling quality landscape restoration cost-effective reforestation target plant concept |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/8/826 |
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