95 Results Found

Circular economy in the context of municipal organic waste management has boosted the emergence of novel composting scenarios, such as community composting and decentralized urban composting in small installations, which favors localized management a...

Different types of soil respond variably to biochar amendment. Soil structure and fertility are properties which strongly affect the impacts of biochar on soil fertility and microbial activity. A pot experiment with lettuce was conducted to verify wh...

The effect of rice-husk char (potentially biochar) application on the growth of transplanted lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis) was assessed in a pot experiment over a three crop (lettuce-cabbage-lettuce) cycle in Cambo...

Cover crops and mulches are widely used techniques for limiting weeds and pests’ effects on crops. This study compared six practices over two growing seasons in two organic farms in Cuneo province, North-West Italy: two bio-based biodegradable...

Organic farming systems are considered not compatible with conservation tillage mainly because of the reliance of conservative systems on herbicides. In this three-year field experiment, we tested the performances of an innovative vegetable organic a...

This paper aims to find a fertilization method that better matches the growth characteristics of vegetables and reduces the soil and environmental problems caused by unreasonable fertilization methods, in view of the strong buffering of the clayey bl...

The Deep Winter Greenhouse (DWG) uses passive solar technology to create an environment where cold tolerant crops like leafy greens can be grown during the winter to satisfy consumer demand for fresh local produce year-round and increase revenue for...

Among the many inputs, nitrogen fertilizers are the main yield-limiting factor in agriculture. Liquid fractions of digestates can be a most promising substitute to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, using little energy to turn waste into valuable fertil...

The present study was carried out to investigate the yield, quality, and metabolomic responses of four different vegetable crops to treatments with pure juglone standard and walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaf extract at soil concentrations found in walnu...

Urban agriculture, due to its location, can play a key role in recycling urban waste streams, promoting nutrient recycling, and increasing sustainability of food systems. This research investigated the integration of brewery wastewater treatment thro...

This study evaluated the impact of shade cloth and fogging systems on the microclimate at the plant canopy level and yield of basil (Oscimum basilicum L.), arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. Sativa L.), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) planted in mid-Sep...

The addition of biostimulants to nutrient solutions of hydroponically grown crops to speed up plant growth and improve plant yield and quality has been attracting more and more attention. This study investigated the effects of wood distillate (WD) ad...

Water use efficiency is a main research target in agriculture, which consumes 70% of global freshwater. This study aimed at identifying sustainable water management strategies for the lettuce crop in a semi-arid climate. Three independent experiments...

Vertical farming systems offer an efficient solution for sustainable food production in urban areas. However, managing nitrate (NO3−) levels remains a significant challenge for improving crop yield, quality, and safety. This study evaluated the...

A gardening methodology using double-cropped cool-season vegetables and warm-season turfgrass, thereby capitalizing on the ideal growing season for each, was developed in field trials and tested in volunteers’ landscapes. Broccoli (Brassica ole...

Plant-derived protein hydrolysates (PHs) are gaining global interest for their sustainability and positive effects on crops under abiotic stresses. However, the long-term effects of PHs on the yield and quality of greenhouse crops have not been descr...

The pH range of 7.0 to 7.2 is recommended to ensure reasonable nitrification rates in aquaponics; however, this range is conducive neither to nitrification, a critical process that occurs at pH 8.0, nor to plant growth. To determine the effects of pH...

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leading greenhouse-grown vegetable. However, nitrate (NO3−) accumulation in leaves remains a major issue. The aims of this research were: (i) to test the modified intermittent Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) in th...

Seed germination is a critical developmental phase for seedling establishment and crop production. Increasing salinity stress associated with climatic change can pose a challenge for seed germination and stand establishment of many crops including le...

Nitrogen plays a key role in crop yields. Hence, farmers may apply excessive N fertilizers to crop fields, inducing environmental pollution. Crop N monitoring methods have been developed to improve N fertilizer management, most of them based on leaf...

Olive mill wastewater is a polluting residue generated from the olive oil industry and is one which constitutes an environmental concern in Mediterranean countries. Composting has been reported as a viable valorization alternative, as it reduces the...

Predictive weather-based models are widely used to schedule irrigation through the estimation of crop evapotranspiration. However, perceiving real-time crop water requirements remains a challenge. This research aims at field validating and exploiting...

Climate change is increasing drought and salinity in many cultivated areas, therefore threatening food production. There is a great demand for novel agricultural inputs able to maintain yield under the conditions imposed by the anthropogenic global w...

Endophytic entomopathogens have growth promoting, nutrient fortifying, and anti-insect properties that could improve the yield and quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Lactuca sativa is a vegetable crop with high demand; however, it is susceptible...

This research aimed to assess the influence of reusing coir-based substrates on growth, nutrient content, and phytonutrients accumulation in lettuce. The experiment included a new coir pith and four coir-based mixes (1) coir, biochar, and perlite; (2...

The current N and P fertilization practices for vegetable crops grown in organic soils are inaccurate and and may potentially damage the environment. New fertilization models are needed. Machine learning (ML) methods can combine numerous features to...

The use of seawater in horticulture is underestimated. Although pure seawater is harmful to most living plants, diluted seawater could represent a promising integration to meet the crop’s nutrient and water requirements. In the current trial, we comp...

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient for plant growth and productivity. Improving P use efficiency is important for crop production. In Lactuca sativa (lettuce), five phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1) genes were identified and characterized thr...

The use of water surfactants in fertigation constitutes a viable approach to increase soil wetting, potentially improving crop nutrient uptake and quality. An in-field demonstration test was carried out by applying an innovative, eco-friendly, non-io...

Proximal sensors in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) are used to monitor plant growth, yield, and water consumption with non-destructive technologies. Rapid and continuous monitoring of environmental and crop parameters may be used to develop...

Global population growth has increased food production challenges and pushed agricultural systems to deploy the Internet of Things (IoT) instead of using conventional approaches. Controlling the environmental parameters, including light, in greenhous...

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, serving as a co-factor in enzymatic processes and pigment biosynthesis. In horticultural crops such as lettuce, Zn fertilization is increasingly relevant for optimizing yield and nutritional q...

Due to rising food demand and the limitation of water resources, achieving water security is essential. The lettuce crop is affected when grown under limited water supplies as it produces small heads, especially during the late growing stage. For thi...

The phytotoxicity and eco-compatibility of essential oils (EOs) from Eucalyptus gunnii (EG) and E. pulverulenta ‘Baby Blue’ (EP), cultivated in Italy for their cut foliage, were investigated. Leaf micromorphology, EOs phytochemical characterization,...

Urban agriculture has emerged as a crucial strategy to address food security and sustainability challenges, particularly in densely populated areas. This study focused on enhancing leafy greens’ production, specifically lettuce (Lactuca sativa...

The present study aims to test the effect of a nutrient solution, with the addition of microbial inoculum, on the growth and mineral composition of ‘Hilbert’ and ‘Barlach’ lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa var. crispa, L.) and...

Stocking density is a key driver of performance in aquaponics, affecting both fish welfare and crop yield. This study evaluated the impact of three initial stocking densities (3.1, 4.1, and 6.2 kg/m3) on survival, growth, feeding behavior, carcass an...

In order to meet the needs of dynamic continuous monitoring of soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC), a new soil, plant, atmosphere analysis system has been established based on an intelligent weighing system (IWS). Four types of irrigation treatmen...

Wood vinegar is a by-product of the pyrolysis of organic raw materials. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition and biological activity of industrial wood vinegar derived from the pyrolysis of wood pruning waste. The composition of wo...

Heavy payloads in future shuttle journeys to Mars present limiting factors, making self-sustenance essential for future colonies. Therefore, in situ resources utilization (ISRU) is the path to successful and feasible space voyages. This research fram...

In modern agricultural production, cattle manure waste recovery is considered as a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management, reducing environmental pollution and chemical fertilizer use. This study aimed to investigate the effects of man...

Innovation in cultivation methods is essential to address the growing challenges in agriculture, including abiotic and biotic stress, soil degradation, and climate change. Aeroponics, a particular type of hydroponics, presents a promising solution by...

In this study several phosphorus fertilizers were evaluated under controlled production conditions using Lactuca sativa var. baby leaf and a clay-loam soil of pH 6.5 as a plant–soil model system. Various inorganic (phosphate rock, monoammonium...

Vertical farming is increasingly popular due to high yields obtained from a small land area. However, the energy cost associated with lighting of vertical farms is high. To reduce this cost, more energy efficient (biomass/energy use) crops are requir...

Efficient nitrogen assimilation in crops remains a key challenge for sustainable agriculture. This study investigated the physiological effects of foliar application of iodine on Lactuca sativa L. cv. Butterhead, comparing two different chemical form...

Mineral elements are essential for plant growth and development and strongly affect crop yield and quality. To cope with an everchanging environment, plants have developed specific responses to combined nutrient variations. In this work, we investiga...

Controlled environment agriculture hydroponic systems grow plants year-round without restriction from outside environmental conditions. In order to further improve crop yield, plant growth-promoting bacteria were tested on hydroponically grown lettuc...

Water scarcity and soil fertility loss are major limitations for agricultural production. This study evaluated the effects of walnut shell biochar (WSB) and fertilizer on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. “Gran rapid”) in hydroponi...

Few conservation strategies have been applied to cultivated peatland. This field study over one growth cycle of Lactuca sativa examined the effect of plant-based, high-C/N-ratio amendments in a real farming situation on peatland. Plant Root Simulator...

Aquaponics is a rapidly growing food-production system integrating aquaculture and hydroponic crop production through an energy-intensive water recirculation process. Crop performance and yield in aquaponics are affected by essential and toxic nutrie...