Composted dairy manure could serve as alternate substrate

Scientists at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences published a research report in HortTechnology that evaluated the potential for using cowpeat, a composted dairy manure, as a component of container substrates for foliage plant propagation, ScienceDaily reported. The research showed that container substrates formulated by incorporating 10% to 60% cowpeat had physical and chemical properties similar to the commercial Canadian and Florida peat-based substrates. Biological testing also demonstrated that all tested cuttings rooted and seed germination rates of cowpeat-substituted substrates were greater than or comparable to those of control substrates. The study suggests that there is potential for using cowpeat for foliage plant propagation and probably for foliage plant production.