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Performance Evaluation and Analysis of Nursery Containers Made from Rice Husk/Soybean Protein Adhesives
Received:January 23, 2015  
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KeyWord:rice husk;nursery bio-container;soybean protein adhesive;water resistance;tensile strength;seedling effect
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
SUN En-hui Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
 
HUANG Hong-ying Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
sfmicrolab@163.com 
WU Guo-feng Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
 
QU Ping Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
 
CHANG Zhi-zhou Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
 
XU Yue-ding Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing 210014, China
Jiangsu Agricultural Waste Treatment and Recycle Engineering Research Center, Nanjing 210014, China 
 
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Abstract:
      In recent decades, it has drawn increasing interest to develop environmentally friendly products with natural plant fibers as filler. Straw nursery containers, made from crop straw, enable seedlings to be transplanted directly into soil without harming roots. They are alternatives to plastic pots and have been widely used in agri-forestry production. In the present study, a new type of bio-containers with rice husk as filler and soybean protein as adhesive through thermal compression process was developed. The water resistant property of the containers was assessed and the effect of these containers on seed germination and growth of cucumber was also evaluated. The correlation between tensile strength and seedling period was further studied. Results showed that the maximum balance water absorption rate and thickness expansion rate of the nursery containers were 26.78% and 10.73%, respectively, indicating that the containers had a good resistance to water. The greatest reduction of their tensile strength was about 50%(P<0.05) after four dry-wet and heat cycle s. The germination of cucumber seeds was promoted by H2O-extracting solution of the containers at low concentrations, but inhibited at high concentrations, which might be due to the formaldehyde from urea formaldehyde resin. Compared with plastic containers, the new type bio-containers could significantly promote the growth of cucumber seedlings at seedling raising period. The tensile strength and seedling period had a significant correlation as y=-0.35X2+9.43X-5.85(R2=0.947 3). These results suggest that straw bio-containers would be a good nursery containers for both agriculture and environment.