Observations of Pepper Seedling Development in Stabilized Plugs, not Standard Loose Rooting Medium

Mar 25, 2025

By Matthew Kleinhenz

On a March 1, 2025 in this blog, we summarized our initial impressions of pepper seedling development in stabilized plugs instead of a standard loose medium and explained that our upcoming use of stabilized plugs was prompted by collaboration with researchers at UC-Davis and The OSU in which we are working to better understand and breed for yield under water and heat stress in bell pepper. Here, we provide a brief update on seedling development in stabilized plugs provided by https://ihort.com/q-plug/. Images below collected 3/22/25 reinforce the idea that seedlings produced in the plugs may be uniform, straightforward to irrigate, easy to handle, and field-ready sooner after seeding (requiring less time in the greenhouse and adding flexibility to seeding schedules). Additional tests are required to verify these preliminary, early-stage speculations. These and other stabilized plugs can be used with seed (varying in size) and cuttings. Please contact https://ihort.com/q-plug/ or Matt Kleinhenz (kleinhenz.1@osu.edu, 330.263.3810) for more information.

Source : osu.edu

Video: Harvest Sample Program Webinar 2026

Discover the Harvest Sample Program — a free, voluntary way to get unofficial grade and quality results for your crops. Watch the latest discussion from our recorded webinar with the Canadian Grain Commission to learn how to submit samples, receive your results online, and leverage these insights for your marketing plan. ?We covered important submission deadlines, the types of analyses you’ll receive, and how the results can inform your sales - and the broader Canadian grain sector. Additional information about our Grade School event presented by the Canadian Grain Commission was discussed, providing you with more opportunities to learn about grades, dockage and so much more! Grade School 2026 will be hosted this November in Humboldt and Swift Current.