İnper Perlite provides great benefits to the agricultural sector in terms of product efficiency.
Benefits
- The dosage of nutrients and water can be adjusted better.
- It provides great convenience in crop rotation, which is important in soil agriculture.
- Problems caused by soil-borne diseases and pests and weeds are largely eliminated.
- Since leakage and evaporation losses can be reduced, water is saved to a great extent.
- Since soil is out of service, there is no need for soil processing, washing, disinfection and fertilization processes that require great labor and expense in greenhouses.
- Agricultural areas can be expanded more since there is no need for soil, and plant roots are not affected by air changes due to their heat insulation properties.
İnper Perlite Usage and Properties in the Agricultural Sector
- İnper Perlite, with its total porosity of over 90% and aeration porosity of around 60%, provides aeration of the soil and regulates its drainage.
- İnper Perlite increases infiltration and reduces evaporation.
- Since it is inorganic, it does not carry weed seeds or diseases.
- Since there are almost no soluble ions, it does not have any problems in terms of salinity and alkalinity.
- With its neutrality (pH=6.5-7.5) and low chemical buffering, it easily regulates the pH of the environment.
- Since its thermal conductivity is low, it minimizes the damage to the plant from daily temperature changes, and its structure does not deteriorate after sterilization, allowing it to be used for a long time.
İnper Perlite has the Following Features as a Plant Growing Medium:
- Since the İnper Perlite medium has a high water retention and aeration capacity, it facilitates the intake of water and nutrients into the plant.
- İnper Perlite is sterile. Since it does not contain any diseases, fungi, insects and weed seeds, it can be used directly without spraying, thus, new production can be easily started at the end of each production.
- İnper Perlite has no harmful effects on the products to be grown.
- İnper Perlite does not cause cracking, swelling or ponding. It does not form a creamy layer or mud. It provides homogeneous drainage.
- İnper Perlite ensures that the plant root system spreads easily and well into the rooting environment.
- İnper Perlite ensures that the roots do not break during the removal of the seedlings and prevents the roots from losing water by staying between the roots in the meantime. In this way, it increases the seedling retention rate.
- Since there is no electrical charge in Inper Perlite as in other growing environments, the plant easily takes water and nutrients from the environment and as much as it needs.
- Since İnper Perlite can be reused, it reduces the cost. İnper Perlite is minimally affected by sudden temperature changes. Thus, hot and cold cannot affect the plant. İnper Perlite is a neutral medium. For this reason, it easily regulates the pH of the medium with its low chemical buffer feature.
Use of İnper Perlite in Soilless Agriculture
Soilless cultivation or soilless culture is the cultivation of plants without using soil as a rooting and nutrition medium. The aim of this system is to meet the nutritional needs of plants with prepared nutrient solutions by using Inper Perlite instead of soil. Prepared nutrient solutions are given to the nutrition and rooting medium as much as necessary and regularly. It is also the most ideal solution for agriculture in soilless regions.
Bed System
For hanging vegetables, it should be prepared in a way that allows double row planting, 70-90 cm wide and 15-20cm deep. In this system, early yield increase is 24% and total yield increase is 35%.
Bag System
Bags that are 25 cm wide and arranged with a 60 cm row spacing along the greenhouse are placed on the greenhouse floor covered with plastic sheeting by filling them with Inper Perlite. Plants are placed on these bags by perforating the sheet at 60-80 cm intervals. A 30% increase in yield has been observed in this system.
Channel System
In this system, 30-liter Perlite bags are prepared for 3 tomatoes or 3 cucumbers in a single row. The aim is to eliminate nutritional differences between the bags.
Vertical Bag System
Inper Perlit filled bags are hung at regular intervals. This system is a suitable environment for growing lettuce and flowers. Drip irrigation should be applied to the system.
The main thing is to apply it by using 2 to 5 vegetables per m² and an average of 4 to 10 litres of Inper Perlite for each plant.
Nutrient Solutions and Preparation in Soilless Agriculture
Nutrient solutions are substances that contain the absolutely necessary nutrients for plants in soilless cultivation in the proportions and amounts needed by the plant. In general, the nutrients to be given twice a week are given as liquid in the amount of 1/4 of the perlite volume per plant. 10% of this is given outside.
Having continuous nutrients at the bottom of the plant and a dripper for each plant is important for both plant development and product yield.
The pH of the growing medium should never fall below 5 with acid applications. The acids of the nutrient solutions, p and Ca (to prevent precipitation), should be prepared in separate tanks.
The mixtures of nutrient solutions are given in the table below according to plants. (The amounts required to be found in 1 liter in mg.)
| Food name | Melon | Tomato | Cucumber/Pepper | Strawberry | Rose |
| K | 220 | 300 | 250 | 252.5 | 250 |
| N | 160 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 200 |
| Ca | 47.5 | 120 | 150 | 27.5 | 175 |
| Mg | 12.5 | 35 | 35 | 11.2 | 35 |
| P | 35.0 | 40 | 40 | 45.0 | 40 |
| Fe | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.50 |
| Zn | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.50 | 1.0 | 0.30 |
| Mn | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.70 | 0.4 | 0.30 |
| B | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.40 | 2.0 | 0.30 |
| Cu | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.10 | 0.75 | 0.10 |
| Mo | 0.5 | 0.5 | 6.0 | 0.5 | 0.05 |
| Asit | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Use of İnper Perlite in Soil Agriculture
Inper Perlite is used in soilless media as well as in improving environments with damaged soil structure and preventing water loss.
When İnper Perlite is mixed into heavy and sticky soils with poor structure, it provides good drainage. It increases the water retention capacity of the soil. It provides easy uptake of nutrients and increases their usefulness. Thus, the plant is watered less frequently.
When you use İnper Perlite as a soil conditioner, it is a product with low salt content, low heat permeability and high useful water capacity.
Ornamental plants, cut flowers, indoor plants and outdoor ornamental plants can benefit from different ratios of İnper Perlite mixtures in their cultivation. For this purpose, the mixtures that can be prepared in order of superiority are given in the table below.
| Mixture | 1. Mixture | 2. Mixture | 3. Mixture |
| İnper Perlite | 1 Unit | 1 Unit | 1 Unit |
| Good Soil | 1 Unit | 1 Unit | 1 Unit |
| Animal Manure | ½ Unit | 1 Unit | ½ Unit |
Using İnper Perlite as Rooting Medium
Inper Perlite can be used in various ways as a rooting medium. Pure Inper Perlite should generally be used in the rooting medium.
Rooting of seedlings and saplings; A 20-30 cm thick Inper Perlite layer is sufficient for rooting cuttings of woody plants.
Germination of seeds; Inper Perlite with a thickness of 10-15 cm is sufficient for the purpose of layering seeds and germination of some seedlings, except for the area that will meet the need.
Rooting of ornamental plants; Hormone applications such as IBA, IAA are made for the rooting of cuttings that are difficult to root to be fast and high. There is no need for any other material other than water (humidity) for the Inper Perlite medium. Seedlings, saplings and cuttings rooted in the Inper Perlite medium develop early and have a more lively appearance.
Use of İnper Perlite in Lawn Areas
Gardens, parks, football and golf fields, grass areas on the tracks, especially due to walking, become compacted over time, preventing the development of grass roots and causing them to dry out. Areas with this structure require frequent renewal and maintenance costs.
When İnper Perlite is used, it reduces high maintenance costs. It is also quite economical when savings are made in irrigation.
When İnper Perlite is mixed into the grass soil, the leaf area of the grass expands. In order to obtain a more lush and long-lasting grass, soil preparation must be perfect.
If animal manure is not available, per decare;
- 250 gr 26% ammonium nitrate
- 160 gr 18% super phosphate
- 160 gr 50% potassium sulphate is applied from the top.
- Chemical fertilizers can never replace animal manure.
Use of Inper Perlite in Mushroom Cultivation
İnper Perlite is used in mushroom cultivation facilities for heat insulation, pre-development in compost inoculation of mycelium and in various stages of the product period.
An example of a good mixture for İnper Perlite mycelium media is given below.
- 3 parts Inper Perlite
- 1.5 parts wheat bran
- 1 part distilled water
- Some limestone and plaster
As a result of this mixture, an increase in mushroom yield was observed. In addition, significant increases in mycelial development were recorded when perlite was used as a cover material in mushroom cultivation.
Disinfection of İnper Perlite
When İnper Perlite is used repeatedly, bacteria, fungi, viruses and various pests that pass through the production material can multiply and spread with the appropriate humidity environment. In case of any disease, the used perlite is collected and covered. The method to be applied according to the disease is determined and disinfection is done.
Methods Used in Disinfection of İnper Perlite
For this purpose, the temperatures and durations that will kill some pests are given below.
Steam disinfection: The most suitable and cheapest system is steam application.
Chemical disinfection: It has many disadvantages such as equipment requirement, harmfulness to human health, harmful persistence to the plant after application and waiting for the next production and reusability.
Methyl bromide should be used as 180 cc for 1 m3 perlite and should be opened at least 24 hours after application. It can be reused by washing thoroughly. Its use has been limited in recent years.
Dazomet is a soil and mortar disinfectant that is more easily applied. Its application is in a humid environment with a temperature of 12-25 °C. 25 gr should be applied to 1 m³ of mortar. If insects or eggs are seen in the perlite after these sprayings, 300 gr of chloropyrifos 25 WP composition drugs are mixed and waited for 1 m³ of mortar and the solution can be used again by washing until it drains.
| Type of Pest | Applicable °C | Period to be Applied |
| Rot Fungi | 50°C | 30 Minutes |
| Penicillum Aspergillus | 70°C | 30 Minutes |
| Nematodes | 50°C | 30 Minutes |
| Pathogenic Bacteria | 75°C | 30 Minutes |
| Spore Fungi | 100°C | 30 Minutes |
| Viruses | 100°C Üstü | 30 Minutes |
| Pests | 70°C | 30 Minutes |
Inper Perlite for Filtering Vegetable Edible Oils
The oil that is converted into semi-finished product is taken to pre-cooling tanks to be cooled to 40-45 °C and mixed with 0.3 to 0.6% perlite. It is left for 7-8 hours to mature so that the stearin starch (saturated fatty acids), which affect the physical appearance of the oil and impair its clarity, cannot pass through the filter. It is then taken to winterizing tanks and after the temperature is reduced to 6 °C, it is passed through the strainers to be filtered and separated from the stearin starch and perlite.
Remaining pearlitic stearin strat;
- If there are stearin crushing tanks, perlite stearin starch is heated to 75-80 °C by adding some water. Bitter soda is added to this heated mixture to break down the starch and separate it from the perlite. The stearin starch separated from the perlite is used in the cosmetics industry.
- Perlite stearin is separated from perlite oil by throwing it into acid boilers. The oil obtained in this way is used in the soap industry, paint industry and feed industry.
- Perlite also absorbs the wax substance that is formed from the seed membrane and is harmful to health during the production of sunflower oil.