Germination and seedling establishment for transplanting into hydroponics often use porous substrates, but fine roots grow into these substrates, and they cannot be removed without damaging these roots. Seedlings transplanted without the removal of substrates can cause interactions with solution chemistry or the addition of particulates to the nutrient solution.
Germination of seeds on slant boards is clean and uniform and reduces the time to transplant. Slant boards facilitate the development of long roots, which maximize exposure of the primary root to the nutrient solution after transplanting. The “boards” are made from thin acrylic or polycarbonate sheets with germination paper on top.
Seeds are held in place by covering them with thin paper before vertical placement of the boards in the container. Four to twelve days later, the seedlings with long roots can be removed from the paper without damage and transplanted into the hydroponic system. Here we describe slant board construction and procedures for rapid germination and transplanting in hydroponics.
Read the complete research at www.researchgate.net.
Langenfeld, Noah & Bugbee, Bruce. (2022). Germination and seedling establishment for hydroponics: The benefit of slant boards. PLOS ONE. 17. e0275710. 10.1371/journal.pone.0275710.