Potting soil capable of shortening the seedling period and reducing labor
must be selected carefully due to its impact on yield and quality.
(Korea Agricultural News = Reporter Choi Jeong-min) The year has begun, and it is already the end of January.
Perhaps due to the damage suffered last year from abnormal weather conditions, such as a prolonged rainy season and frequent typhoons, farmers appear to be putting greater effort into preparing for this year's farming season.
Before entering the full-scale farming season, the very first thing farmers prepare is potting soil. As an essential material for tending to seedlings and growing healthy plants, its importance cannot be overstated.
Good potting soil is known to be soft, have excellent drainage and water retention, and contain a balanced mix of various nutrients; by fostering healthy seedlings, it is said to influence not only the annual yield but also the quality of the crop.
Currently, the market features a variety of potting soils optimized for specific crops, including those suitable for rice cultivation. Therefore, farmers are advised to select soil tailored to their specific varieties and regional characteristics to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Accordingly, this publication aims to introduce the diverse potting soils available on the market to assist farmers in making their selections.
[Geongon Geotech]
'The Zone Sudo Bio Potting Soil' and 'The Zone Strawberry Soil':
Excellent Permeability and Nutrient Retention, and Good Mat Formation.
The Zone Sudo Bio Potting Soil is a product composed of 22.9% coco peat, 24.87% diatomite, 14.93% zeolite, and 36.80% vermiculite. As a standardized potting soil formulated with pH and nutrient content suitable for rice growth, it is garnering significant interest from rice farmers.
A Geongon Geotech official stated, "The Zone Sudo Bio Potting Soil has excellent permeability, nutrient retention, and aeration, allowing for good mat formation during the cultivation of young and medium-sized seedlings, making transplanting very convenient." The official added, "Because it absorbs water well, it increases work efficiency during mechanical sowing and offers significant economic advantages compared to homemade potting soil."
Along with this, Geongon Geotech also introduced The Bon Strawberry Soil.
The Zone strawberry soil is introduced in two forms: one for the growing medium and another for runners. The growing medium is suitable for cultivating high-quality strawberries due to its excellent nutrient retention and aeration, vigorous root development, and stable soil pH and electrical conductivity.
The runner form features stable soil pH and electrical conductivity, along with excellent aeration, which helps strawberry seedlings establish their roots vigorously.
[Nongkyung]
'Dubaena Plus No. 2' and 'Wonjo Mix':
Uniform Dry Seedling Growth and Labor Reduction Effects. Nonggyeong
recommended 'Dubaena Plus No. 2' for rice cultivation and 'Wonjo Mix' for horticulture.
'Dubaena Plus No. 2,' a potting soil for rice cultivation, offers benefits such as uniform dry seedling growth, vigorous root development, and labor reduction. Its advantage lies in the balanced mixture of nutrients (essential and trace elements) and other active substances, ensuring uniform growth. Furthermore,
it has received positive reviews from farmers for its balanced water retention, drainage, and aeration, resulting in excellent root vitality and superior mat formation.
A representative from Nonggyeong emphasized, “Dubaena Plus No. 2 is a highly stable product that maximizes the advantages of potting soil to create an environment for growing excellent seedlings,” adding,
“Its lightweight physical properties make it convenient to use, and it allows for labor savings by shortening the seedling period.”
Along with Dubaena Plus No. 2, Nonggyeong is introducing Wonjo Mix as a horticultural potting soil. Wonjo Mix is an eco-friendly potting soil made from high-quality natural raw materials; it is receiving a great response from the agricultural field by producing various products tailored to user preferences, and its
major advantage is that it designs and introduces products considering the growth characteristics of cultivated crops.
[Nongwoo Bio]
'Nongwoo Cham Joeun' and 'Silmuk Segye':
Faster initial root formation and shortened seedling period.
Nongwoo Bio, which has been introducing various products to the agricultural field for a long time, is garnering the attention of many farmers by introducing 'Nongwoo Cham Joeun' for rice cultivation and 'Silmuk Segye' for horticulture.
Nongwoo Cham Joeun is less than half the weight of standard heavy-duty products, making it convenient for tasks such as sowing, transplanting, and planting. It also boasts the advantages of rapid initial root formation and a dense structure that shortens the seedling period by at least 2 to 3 days.
An official from Nongwoo Bio explained, “Nongwoo Cham Joeun uses high-quality materials to ensure stable physical properties, enabling the cultivation of healthy seedlings and offering excellent economic efficiency.” He added, “Its high elasticity allows for healthy seedling cultivation even when filled thinly compared to conventional and heavy-duty potting soils, and the uniform water distribution after irrigation
ensures the formation of a complete mat.”
The horticultural potting soil 'Sikmulsegye' possesses physicochemical properties suitable for the seedling cultivation of all vegetable crops, including fruit and leafy vegetables. It boasts optimal aeration and water retention through the combination of high-quality coco peat and premium Spagnum peat moss.
[Shingi Industry]
'Cheonhatongil' for Rice and Horticulture
: Aids Root Growth and Improves Work Efficiency.
Shingi Industry, which has been supplying potting soil to farms for over 20 years, recommended 'Cheonhatongil' for rice and horticulture.
'Cheonhatongil,' a soil mix specifically designed for seedling beds, is available in light, semi-heavy, and heavy grades. The light grade offers the advantage of promoting healthy root growth due to its light weight and excellent aeration. Furthermore, its superior water retention and permeability enable the production of healthy seedlings and
have been shown to significantly help shorten the nursery period for young and medium-sized seedlings.
Semi-heavyweight soil combines the advantages and disadvantages of loess for universal use in broadcast sowing, row sowing, young seedlings, and medium-sized seedlings. It is manufactured to closely resemble loess, enhancing stability.
Furthermore, it is formulated with a pH suitable for seedling growth, and the addition of essential nutrients, trace elements, and fungicides
ensures high work efficiency when using automatic seeders. An official from Shingi Industry explained, "A common mistake farmers make when preparing potting soil is packing it into boxes too tightly. However, compacting eliminates air pockets, reducing aeration and water absorption, which can result in loose seedlings."
Also being introduced is the horticultural potting soil 'Cheonhatongil,' which possesses excellent physicochemical properties that enable the cultivation of healthy seedlings. Its high nutrient retention capacity ensures a continuous supply of nutrients until the later stages of seedling growth, while its good water distribution during irrigation and superior permeability and drainage ensure outstanding uniformity.
[Pungnong]
'NPICO Eco-friendly Rice Potting Soil' and 'NPICO Green Potting Soil' are effective in suppressing excessive seedling growth and cultivating
uniform healthy seedlings.
Pungnong's 'NPICO Eco-friendly Rice Potting Soil' and 'NPICO Green Potting Soil' are attracting the attention of many farmers due to their significant effects, such as shortening the seedling period and reducing the amount of potting soil required.
'NPICO Eco-friendly Rice Potting Soil' is an eco-friendly rice potting soil that has been sterilized and has been acid-adjusted appropriately for seedling growth. It contains the nutrients necessary for seedling growth, allowing for immediate use in the field, boasting safety and high convenience.
Furthermore, it maintains an optimal bulk density for improved workability, making it convenient to handle during sowing, seedling transplanting, and transplanting. It is particularly effective in suppressing excessive seedling growth and cultivating uniform healthy seedlings during the early stages of seedling growth.
A Pungnong official emphasized, “This product is effective for stable seedling management by addressing the drawbacks of lightweight potting soil, which is too light to flow smoothly from the tray during transplanting , and by improving the
water retention and nutrient retention capabilities of existing heavy-duty potting soil.” Furthermore, NPICO Eco-friendly Rice Potting Soil is effective for reducing seedling costs for farmers and facilitating integrated mechanical sowing operations during large-scale seedling production by shortening the seedling period, reducing the amount of potting soil required, and improving work efficiency.
Also being introduced is NPICO Green Potting Soil for horticulture, a general-purpose potting soil manufactured from high-quality raw materials such as coco peat that is convenient to handle and use while being effective for seedling cultivation.
NPICO Green Potting Soil is effective for seedling growth by supplying nutrients, moisture, and oxygen suitable for seedling development; it promotes good root development and prevents root entanglement, and does not crumble during transplanting, enabling the planting of healthy and safe seedlings.