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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production
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Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2025) | Viewed by 6880

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miguel Guzmán

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
RNM151, Ciaimbital, Department of Agronomy, Cei A3, Almería University, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
Interests: horticulture; soilless crops; vertical crops; plant nutrition; water & nutrient use efficiency; fertigation; nanofertilizers; agronomic biofortification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Raul I. Cabrera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302, USA
Interests: horticulture; plant nutrition; soil and water conservation; sustainable agriculture; nutrient management; fertigation; fertilizers; water quality; salinity; hydroponics; composting; cropping systems roots crop production; crop physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María Fernanda Quintero Castellanos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agronomy Department, San Luis Potosí University, Km. 14.5, SLP-Matehuala, San Luis Potosí 78321, Mexico
Interests: horticulture; fertigation; irrigation; sustainable fertilizers management; water resources management; nutritive eficiencies in horticultural crops; soilless crops; hydraulics; soil and water conservation; drip irrigation
Dr. Maria del Carmen Salas Sanjuán

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Almeria University, La Cañada, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Interests: hidroponics; horticulture; plant nutrition; irrigation and fertigation (mineral and organic); soilless crops, water sources & management; bio-fertilizers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture faces truly important challenges. Food demand increases as the population increases, and this demand must be met in a sustainable way, as water and fertilizer resources are limited and, in some cases, overexploited. A new approach is required that uses the concept of sustainability in a comprehensive way, ecologically, socially, and economically. Horticulture production is one of the most intensive agricultural systems, requiring high input from growers. However, production practices have been changing due to the use of new technologies, increased sensitivity to environmental issues, and consumer concerns about product quality and nutritional value. Global warming and climate change, including rising temperatures and water scarcity, are causing major changes in our food system, making it necessary to modify current horticultural food production strategies to maintain human and planetary health. The SDGs address the global challenges we face, including the need for the food system to be more equitable, environmentally sustainable, and resilient.

This Special Issue is devoted to the publication of original, review, and frontier articles on these concerns about innovative studies, tools, approaches, and techniques that have been successful in addressing ‘Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production’. Contributions will preferably focus on new trends in fertilization and fertigation, including aspects such as the reduction in consumption, efficiency of use, biofertilizers, nanofertilizers, and development stimulants, without excluding other aspects, experiences, and strategies to promote a more sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, there should be a focus on the use of new production strategies and systems: floating, closed soilless growing, soil and media properties, vertical crops, modeling, and any other innovation that has improved the efficiency and sustainability of water and fertilizers, for the production of high-quality commodities that make their management sustainable and efficient.

Dr. Miguel Guzmán
Dr. Raul I. Cabrera
Dr. María Fernanda Quintero Castellanos
Dr. Maria del Carmen Salas Sanjuán
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant nutrition
  • fertigation
  • efficiency
  • resiliency
  • nutritional value
  • innovation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4628 KiB  
Article
Structural Optimization Based on Response Surface Methodology for the Venturi Injector Used in Fertigation System
by Pan Tang and Zhizhong Zhang
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020223 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 536
Abstract
To enhance the hydraulic performance of the Venturi injector, the effects of the structural parameters were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The fertilizer suction chamber diameter, contraction angle, and throat diameter ratio were chosen as variables, [...] Read more.
To enhance the hydraulic performance of the Venturi injector, the effects of the structural parameters were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The fertilizer suction chamber diameter, contraction angle, and throat diameter ratio were chosen as variables, while the suction flow rate, suction concentration, and suction efficiency were selected as performance indicators. Multiple regression models were established, and the regression models were used for parameter optimization and experimental verification. The results showed that under the same inlet-outlet differential pressure, with the increase in the fertilizer suction chamber diameter, contraction angle, and throat diameter ratio, the suction flow rate, suction concentration, and suction efficiency showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and there were peaks in suction performance. Predictive regression equations were established for the suction flow rate, concentration, and efficiency within the experimental parameter range. The determination coefficients of the three regression equations were 0.9987, 0.9961, and 0.9990, respectively, which indicated that the established regression equations could be used for performance prediction. The optimized combination of structural parameters included a fertilizer suction chamber diameter of 32 mm, a contraction angle of 35°, and a throat diameter ratio of 2.93. The error between the predicted and experimental values was less than 3%, indicating a high level of reliability in the predictive regression model. The performance indicators of the optimized Venturi injector were significantly improved, with an increase of 124.1~793.7 L h−1 in the suction flow rate, 9.52~16.42 percentage points in suction concentration, and 5.4~9.19 percentage points in suction efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production)
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25 pages, 4276 KiB  
Article
Estimating the Grape Basal Crop Coefficient in the Subhumid Region of Northwest China Based on Multispectral Remote Sensing by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
by Can Xu, Xiaotao Hu, Jia Tian, Xuxin Guo and Jichu Lei
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020217 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 486
Abstract
How to quickly and accurately obtain the basal crop coefficient is the key to estimating evapotranspiration in sparse vegetation. To enhance the accuracy of vineyard evapotranspiration estimation in the subhumid region of Northwest China, this study utilized the actual evapotranspiration (ETc [...] Read more.
How to quickly and accurately obtain the basal crop coefficient is the key to estimating evapotranspiration in sparse vegetation. To enhance the accuracy of vineyard evapotranspiration estimation in the subhumid region of Northwest China, this study utilized the actual evapotranspiration (ETc) measured by the Bowen ratio system as the reference standard. The reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated using the Penman formula, and the grape crop coefficient (Kc) was subsequently derived. The FAO-56 dual crop coefficient method was then employed to determine the soil evaporation coefficient (Ke) and the water stress coefficient (Ks), leading to the acquisition of the basal crop coefficient (Kcb). Concurrently, multispectral remote sensing images captured by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were used to gather grape spectral data, from which the reflectance of multiple bands was extracted to compute four vegetation indices: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), the Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI), and the Difference Vegetation Index (DVI). Relationship models between the grape basal crop coefficient (Kcb) and these vegetation indices were established using univariate linear regression, polynomial regression, and multiple linear regression. These models were then used to estimate vineyard evapotranspiration and validate the accuracy of the UAV multispectral remote sensing in estimating the grape Kcb. The results indicated that: (1) The growth stage, type of vegetation index, and modeling method were three significant factors influencing the fitting accuracies of the relationship models between the grape basal crop coefficient (Kcb) and vegetation indices. These model fitting accuracies had a notable impact on the estimation accuracies of evapotranspiration. (2) The application of UAV-based multispectral remote sensing to estimate the grape basal crop coefficient in the subhumid region of Northwest China was feasible. Compared to the Kcb values recommended by the FAO-56, the Kcb values derived from the UAV data improved the estimation accuracies of evapotranspiration by more than 11% in 2021 and 13% in 2022. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production)
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17 pages, 1305 KiB  
Article
Biogenic Nano-Fertilizers as a Sustainable Approach to Alleviate Nitrate Accumulation and Enrich Quality Traits of Vegetable Crops
by Mostafa Abdelkader, Meisam Zargar, Maryam Bayat, Elena Pakina, Ahmed S. A. Shehata and Ahmed A. Suliman
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080789 - 26 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1982
Abstract
Vegetables accumulate considerable amounts of nitrates that enter the human body through nutrition, causing severe problems. This study aims to determine celery plants’ response to replacing mineral nitrogen fertilizers with bio-nanoparticles. Three different treatments of nano bio-nitrogen fertilizer (20, 30, and 40 ppm) [...] Read more.
Vegetables accumulate considerable amounts of nitrates that enter the human body through nutrition, causing severe problems. This study aims to determine celery plants’ response to replacing mineral nitrogen fertilizers with bio-nanoparticles. Three different treatments of nano bio-nitrogen fertilizer (20, 30, and 40 ppm) in addition to traditional nitrogen (NH4NO3) treatment (100 kg N/acre) were applied on two celery cultivars (Balady and Utah Tall 52–75). Plant growth parameters, vitamin C, carotenoids, nitrate accumulation, macro-nutrient uptakes, and antioxidant activities were determined at the vegetative marketing stage. Our findings reveal a significant positive impact of replacing conventional nitrogen fertilizers with bio-nano-synthesized forms. Notably, applying bio-nanoparticles improved celery yield efficiency, ranging from 5.1 to 5.8 tons per acre, suggesting a viable alternative to traditional fertilization methods. Furthermore, transitioning from mineral to organic fertilizers in nanoparticle form reduced nitrate accumulation in fresh celery crops, decreasing nitrate levels from 342.5 ppm to as low as 100 ppm. This environmentally conscious approach offers a sustainable solution to mitigate chemical residues and enhance celery’s flavor, nutritional value, and health benefits. Specifically, our results demonstrate alleviated nitrate contents in fresh celery leaves after applying bio-nano-fertilizer. Nitrate levels in treated plants decreased by up to 70.0% compared to traditional fertilization methods. This highlights the potential of organic nano-fertilizers to address concerns related to nitrate accumulation, thereby promoting safer and healthier vegetable consumption. By advocating for organic nano-fertilizers, we propose a promising strategy to optimize celery fertilizing management, ensuring sustainable farming and consumer well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production)
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21 pages, 3125 KiB  
Article
Predictive Model to Evaluate Water and Nutrient Uptake in Vertically Grown Lettuce under Mediterranean Greenhouse Conditions
by Manuel Felipe López Mora, María Fernanda Quintero Castellanos, Carlos Alberto González Murillo, Calina Borgovan, María del Carmen Salas Sanjuan and Miguel Guzmán
Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10020117 - 25 Jan 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2812
Abstract
The decrease in arable land, water scarcity, and climate change increase the pressure on natural resources and agricultural production systems. In this context, agriculture must ensure food production for the rapidly growing and increasingly urban population of the world. Efforts must be made [...] Read more.
The decrease in arable land, water scarcity, and climate change increase the pressure on natural resources and agricultural production systems. In this context, agriculture must ensure food production for the rapidly growing and increasingly urban population of the world. Efforts must be made to obtain the highest yield from the unit area and promote the transition to more sustainable production systems Hydroponics is a modern growing technology mainly applied in greenhouses, which has developed rapidly over the past 30–40 years. Substrate-free hydroponic vertical crops (VC) can reduce the pressure conventional agriculture exerts on resources, saving water and nutrients, and increasing crop yields per unit area. Therefore, this study aimed to validate a proposed predictive model (PM) to simulate water and nutrient uptake in vertical crops under greenhouse conditions. On the basis of the Penman–Monteith equation, the PM estimates transpiration, while nutrient uptake was estimated using the Carmassi–Sonneveld submodel. The PM was experimentally evaluated for vertically grown lettuce under Mediterranean greenhouse conditions during spring 2023. The irrigation technique was a closed-loop fertigation circuit. The experiment consisted of testing two densities (50 and 80 plants·m−2) and three plant positions (low, medium, and upper). ANOVA (p < 0.05) and R2 were used to evaluate the PM performance and crop behavior. The low density and the upper position had significantly higher mass values. The results suggest a high degree of performance for the PM, as the R2 ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 for water and nutrient uptake. Both densities had a yield 17–20 times higher than conventional lettuce production and significant savings in water, about 85–88%. In this sense, the PM has great potential to intelligently manage VC fertigation, saving water and nutrients, which represents an advance toward reaching SDG 6 and SDG 12 within the 2030 Agenda. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Fertilizer Management and Sustainable Use in Horticultural Production)
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