Biocontainers and the Bigger Picture: Evaluating the Overall Performance of Plastic Pot Alternatives in Greenhouse Production of Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides), Poster Board #263

Recent market research indicates that the adoption of biocontainers as part of  a sustainable growing and sales strategy is an effective means of garnering consumer interest. Plastic container alternatives are commercially available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. However, use of biocontainers among commercial growers is still relatively sparse. Past survey work has attributed this, in part, to concerns regarding the compatibility of biocontainers with existing production practices. This comprehensive project compares the performance of 7 biocontainers to a conventional plastic control in actual and simulated commercial production processes. In the first experiment, containers were run through mechanized filling and planting systems at a commercial production site to assess filling success and resistance to damage. Following these trials, containers were transported via box truck approximately 200 km to quantify and compare levels of shipping damage. Results of this work indicate that container type does not influence filling success; however, damage rates during both filling and transport differed among the products tested. A second set of studies using the same container types investigated plant growth and pot integrity in response to three different irrigation methods (e.g., hand watering, drip irrigation, and ebb-and-flood). Final dry mass and plant volume measurements showed uniform plant growth among containers within the irrigation methods examined, despite some noted differences in container media chemistry (particularly pH). Mechanical testing of new and used containers showed significant differences in strength with respect to container type. In addition, used and wet new containers exhibited lower resistance to crushing or puncturing when compared to similar dry new containers. Results of this work highlight some potential limitations of biocontainers with regard to damage resistance. However, with respect to plant growth, biocontainers appear to be an appropriate surrogate for conventional plastic containers.