Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...
Native Plant Establishment - Late Summer
1.
2. Timing of winter/fall
planting
Water needs vs.
water use
Faster establishment
with lower
maintenance
TRWG-Z over hand-
watering
3. Clarify potential benefits of TRWG-Z
over hand-watering
Determine if single application ( or12
weeks of continual moisture) could
successfully establish plants
Determine if photosynthesis prior to
dormant season would have substantial
benefit to plant establishment
Define water saving using TRWG-Z
4. TRWG-Z, (carboxymethylcellulose cross-linked polymer)
• Potable water
City of Santa Rosa, CA
• Zinc Sulfate
essential to many enzyme systems in plants
contributes to production of growth regulators
most available form of zinc to plants
• Glacial Acetic Acid
naturally occurring auxin
induce elongation in shoot cells
improve uptake of minerals
5. Species
• Quercus agrifolia
• Quercus lobata
Planting times
• August 4, 2009
• September 2, 2009
• October 2,2009
Container size
• D-40
Climate-Mediterranean
10- 10-
Month 9-Aug 9-Sep 9-Oct 9-Nov 9-Dec 10-Jan 10-Feb 10-Apr 10-Jun 10-Jul
Mar May
High 102°F 101°F 87°F 80°F 65°F 62°F 71°F 81°F 82°F 83°F 97°F 92°F
Low 47°F 40°F 38°F 30°F 21°F 32°F 34°F 33°F 34°F 35°F 45°F 45°F
Precip 0.11 in. 0.49 in. 1.81 in. 4.31 in. 4.50 in. 6.25 in. 6.08 in. 4.71 in. 1.67 in. 0.83 in. 0.19 in. 0.06 in
www.accuweather.com/us/ca/santa-rosa/95401/forecast-month.asp
6. Each plot – 32 plants – 10’X18’
• 20 with TRWG-Z -12 hand-watered
August
• single application TRWG
• Hand-watered : 12 weeks, 2.5 gallon each week
Last hand-watered date was October 7
September
• single application of TRWG-Z
• Hand-watered: 12 weeks, 2.5 gallon each week
October
• single application of TRWG-Z
• Hand-watered: 12 weeks, 2.5 gallon each week
(except during active precipitation)
7. Two Harvests
• June 23, 2010
• November 27, 2010
Three-weeks of drying time
• Weighed on calibrated scale
30
25
Quercus agrifolia 20
June 2010 Harvest 15
10 months after planting 10
5
0
Hand-water TRWG-Z
8. TRWG-Z Hand-watered
15 grams 9 grams
Quercus agrifolia Planted August
2009, harvested and weighed June 2010
9. Plant species Hand-watered TRWG-Z
Quercus agrifolia 8 15
Quercus lobata 14 26
Average 11 20
10-month old plants
20. Late summer planting appears to allow
sufficient photosynthesis resulting in ample
carbohydrate storage for spring plant
growth
Zinc and Glacial Acetic Acid contribute to
the production of essential growth over
potable water with no nutrients
Using TRWG-Z contributes to overall water
efficiency
No plants received water after 12 weeks -1
fatality-continual moisture appears
necessary
21. TRWG-Z HAND-WATER
Per Plant Per plant
• 2.5 gallons at planting • 2.5 gallons per week
• 1 Quart of TRWG-Z for 12 weeks = 30
• 12 weeks = 2.75 gallons
gallons
Water saving per plant: 92%
23. (1993). Zinc, needed throughout the root zone. Micronutrient news
and information, Vol. 13(No. 4).
(1994). Zinc-the most important micronutrient. Micronutrient news
and information, Vol. 14(No. 3)
Amrani, M., Westfall, D. G., & Peterson, G. A. (1993). Zinc plant
availability as influenced by zinc fertilizer sources and zinc water
solubility. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Arteca, R. N. (1996). Plant growth substances, Principles and
applications. New York, NY: Chapman and Hall.
Mordvedt, J. J., Cox, F. R., Shuman, L. M., & Welch, R. M. (1991).
Micronutrients in agriculture (2nd ed.). Madison, WI: Soil Science
Society of America.
Wheeler, J., PhD, & Peterson, K. (2006). DRiWATER plus, a new
product (cross linked carboxymethylocellulose gel with zinc and
acetic acid). Tucson, AZ: Research conducted at Acre Inc.
Source for Santa Rosa Temp. & Precip:
*http://www.accuweather.com/us/ca/santa-rosa/95401/forecast-
month.asp
Editor's Notes
During the initial life cycle of the product DriWater we noticed a trend in restoration/revegetation where planting tended to occur in the later fall or early winter months. We understood the thinking behind this methodology was that the plants would have moisture and cooler temperatures throughout the winter months and be in the ground ready for spring moisture. But what we also noticed was that many plants perished over the winter the winter months. This meant that additional money would be spent on new plant materials to replace the dead plants, and on labor costs to mobilize teams to replace plants.
The initial questions we asked ourselves were: When is the best time of year to plant? What are the minimal water needs of a plants and can time-release water provide enough moisture to establish a plant more quickly than sporadic watering? And is there a substantial enough difference between time-release water with Zinc over hand watering? The trends presented in this informal study provide exciting results that both provoke more investigation and new approaches to shifting seasonal planting. Attaining high survival rates without incurring high expenses for maintenance, or replanting due to site failure are common goals in revegetation. While late fall early winter planting provide the plants the initial protection and possible moisture needed to survive the winter, planting at this time of year does not always enable the plant substantial enough root growth needed for long-term sustainability.We know that when plants feed, or photosynthesize, they grow and increase their carbohydrate storage (energy). So if plants were given adequate time and enough moisture to grow, develop roots prior to the dormant season, it would be assumed that the roots would have more chance to increase carbohydrate storage. By having this “food” available when spring comes the plants have been given a head start to better uptake spring moisture and nutrients making the plants stronger for the coming growing season. With todays unstable climates spring may be the only time that plants have to develop and strengthen before possible summer drought, so the extra push the plants have gotten from their carbohydrate reserves the better prepared they are to handle dryer climatic conditions.
Although this was set up as an informal pilot study we believed that several determinations could result. We resolved to understand the potential benefits of using time-release water gel with zinc (TRWG-Z) over hand watering with regard to root and plant growth. Secondly we wanted to determine if a single application of TRWG-Z at the right time of year could have the potential to grow a sustainable plant in one growing season with the understanding that in dryer climates this would translate to 90-days of continual moisture which may be 2 or 3 applications. But the main point was to see if 90-days of continual and adequate moisture would have the potential to grow a sustainable plant in the first growing season. Thirdly, we wanted to see if there could be potential benefit from added photosynthesis on the front side of transplanting and if this would translate to first season sustainable plant growth. And lastly, we wanted to define some kind of water savings.
TWRG is pure potable water held in a solid form by two food-grade ingredients (cellulose gum and alum), it is not an absorbent polymer. It appears in the form of a gel. The gel is degraded by microorganisms to yield available water (Wheeler, PhD & Peterson, 2006, p. 2). During the research of zinc the selection of zinc sulfate was based on which zinc compound is utilized most efficiently by plants. Zinc is essential to many enzyme systems in plants with three main functions including catalytic, co-catalytic, and structural integrity. Zinc contributes to the production of important growth regulators which affect photosynthesis, new growth, and development of roots (Mordvedt, Cox, Shuman, & Welch, 1991) (as cited in Wheeler, PhD & Peterson, 2006, p.2) and improves stress tolerance. If zinc is in short supply, plant utilization of other essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen will decrease.Glacial acetic acid, a naturally occurring auxin (a term representing a class of compounds) characterized by their ability to induce elongation in shoot cells. They also regulated cellular elongation, phototropism, geotropism, apical dominance, root initiation ethylene production, fruit development, parthenocaarpy, abscission, and sex expression, all of which are necessary for normal plant growth. Research also indicates that the presence of acetic acid will improve the uptake of minerals (Arteca, 1996, p. 15-16).To maintain plants normal growth, glacial-3 acetic acid must be produced and regulated by the plant. Zinc is a co-factor in the transformation of the amino acid tryptophan to the auxin. Zinc will help maintain acetic acid levels in the plant and promote growth, rooting, and health (Wheeler, PhD & Peterson, 2006, p.2)
The species used for the study were Quercus agrifolia (Coastal Live Oak), and Quercus lobata (Coastal Valley Oak). Plots were set up on an empty lot behind the DriWater manufacturing facility in Santa Rosa California. Plot size for each planting date was 10’ by18’ , and set up with full sun exposure. Three sets of plantings took place; August 4th, September 2nd, and October 2nd of 2009. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild winters with rainfall occurring generally during winter months with spring rain.
All plots were placed to receive full sun exposure. Planting holes were dug and watered twice to give a good moisture column below plants. No amendments were added to the soil or planting holes. TRWG plants were watered once at the time of planting and received only a single application of a TRWG-Z through a 3” tube placed next to plants root ball. Hand-watered plants were given equal amount of water at the time of planting and then were watered 2.5 gallons of potable water every Wednesday for 12 weeks.
Two harvests were conducted with five from each group (hand-water and TRWG-Z) for each month. The roots were dried for three weeks prior to weighing dry root mass. The weights from each group were averaged. Roots were weighed on a calibrated scale at the testing facility in Santa Rosa California. This is an example of the trends that we began to see at the first harvest.
These roots are examples taken from the August planting, TRWG-Z on left and hand-water on right. At this time the plants were 10-months old.
10 months old
10 month old plants
A comparison of averages in dry root mass for the three planting periods show a trend toward more overall dry root biomass with August planting.
In the end there was only one loss, literally a loss, the plant came up missing so in terms of survival between hand watered plants and plants established with the TRWG there was not difference. We looked at both as having equal survival. We did go back in and measure the trees for the last time in November 2012, both the caliper and the height of the trees, with measurements taken in inches. Our purpose for this was now to look at the planting solely in terms of what plants have better growth rates, August plants, September plants, or October plants. We measured and then looked at averages. The August plants did considerably better both in terms of caliper and height over September and October, with October plants doing better than September plants.
While plants that are placed in the ground during the months of November, December, and January may be protected from harsh summer temperatures they do not necessarily receive the root growth momentum to survive through the following growing season. These plants typically require some type of water regime during the following spring and summer adding costs but may not improve survival rates. This study found that by planting in August, normally one of the warmest months of the year and providing adequate moisture (90-days of continual moisture) plants survived during the next growing season without additional moisture. It was also observed that the addition of zinc and glacial acetic acid roots developed more quickly with the plants showing more upper plant growth and stamina than plants given just water. Planting trees in late summer appears to provide sufficient time to allow the plant to push root growth for several months prior to dormancy. This study shows sufficient evidence to further studies using the scientific method in a variety of growing climates and environments to secure results that show August to be an optimum month to plant trees using zinc and glacial acetic acid to produce the growth necessary for survival without water maintenance over a 2 to 3 year period resulting in better plant survival and increased water efficiency.
I did a simple comparison using the numbers of this pilot study for water use. Because the numbers of hand-watered to TRWG-Z plants per plot were different we did our comparison using a plant to plant comparison. All projects are different with different water availability and costs. Today we understand that water is a non-renewable resource so saving water is critical, and should play a role in the cost benefit analysis for any revegetation project.
