Search Results (7)

The use of wireless sensors for real-time sensing of substrate water status and electrical conductivity could be an effective tool for precision irrigation management in soilless cultivation. In this research, the effects of timer-based (TB) compared to smart sensor-based irrigation (SB) were investigated. The highest consumption of fertilizers and water were recorded in TB, with nutrient solution and total applied water savings of 38% and 26%, respectively, in SB. The highest yield was obtained in SB treatment, with a total and marketable yield decrease of 7% in TB, with no differences in terms of the total soluble solids content, dry matter, firmness, juice pH and titratable acidity of the strawberry fruits. The higher yield, combined with water and nutrient saving in SB, allowed water use efficiency (fresh weight of marketable fruits per liter of total water applied) to be increased by 46% and nutrient productivity (fresh weight of marketable product per gram of nutrient supplied via nutrient solution) by 74%. The study confirms that sensor-based, compared to empiric fertigation management, ameliorates the sustainability of open, free-drain, soilless cultivation of strawberry, leading to better resource use without compromising crop performance and fruit quality. Full article

The chrysanthemum is a perennial herbaceous flower with a long history of cultivation dating back over 3000 years. The potted chrysanthemum is a significant type and is widely used in landscaping. Expensive substrate costs, complicated management of water and fertilizer, and uneven product quality currently plague the potted chrysanthemum industry. This study systematically investigated the growth status of potted chrysanthemums under different substrates, water, and fertilizer ratios and established a simplified cultivation system for potted chrysanthemums. The substitute substrate experiment demonstrated that coir: moss peat: perlite: pine needle mulch = 2:4:2:2 is the most suitable substitute substrate. Research on fertilizer ratios found that chrysanthemums’ best growth and flowering characteristics were achieved with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations of 336 mg/L, 93 mg/L, and 273 mg/L, respectively. A comprehensive, simplified cultivation system was established when utilizing T4 substitute substrate (2:4:2:2 ratios of coir, moss peat, perlite, and pine needle mulch), 40% water capacity, and F9 fertilizer (336 mg/L nitrogen, 93 mg/L phosphorus, and 273 mg/L potassium). This study comprehensively and systematically explored the cultivation and maintenance schemes in the production of potted chrysanthemums and built a light, simple, and efficient production technology system of potted chrysanthemums in the open field suitable for the climatic characteristics of northern China, which provides feasible technical specifications and a theoretical basis for the refinement and large-scale management of potted chrysanthemums. This experiment lays the foundations for cost reduction and efficiency in the potted chrysanthemum industry. Full article

Saussurea esthonica is an endangered plant species typical for wet inland habitats such as calcareous fens. Due to its limited population size and distribution, non-invasive sampling of is important in the research of S. esthonica. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of mineral nutrient availability and substrate moisture on the growth, physiological status, and mineral nutrition of S. esthonica. The non-destructive measurement of physiological parameters was performed in native habitats during three vegetative seasons, followed by two experiments in controlled conditions. Soil at the two Estonian sites had a relatively larger similarity in the composition of plant-available mineral nutrients in comparison to the two Latvian sites. The chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter Performance Index correlated with the total precipitation in the respective month before measurement, but no significant relationship with other environmental variables was found. For mineral nutrient experiments, plants were grown in four substrates with different mineral nutrient composition, resembling that of soil at different S. esthonica sites. Plant growth and physiological indices were significantly affected by the mineral composition of the substrate. Differences in leaf and root mineral nutrient concentrations of S. esthonica plants in part reflected differences in substrate mineral concentration. To evaluate the effect of soil moisture on growth and photosynthesis-associated parameters of S. esthonica, plants were cultivated in “Pope+” substrate at four different moisture treatments (dry, normal, wet, and waterlodged). The most intense growth of S. esthonica plants was evident in waterlodged conditions, which decreased with a decrease in soil moisture. The biomass of leaves increased by 106% and that of the roots increased by 72% as soil moisture increased from dry to normal. For waterlodged plants, leaf biomass increased by 263% and root biomass increased by 566%, in comparison to that for plants cultivated in dry substrate. Substrate drying had a more negative effect on the growth of S. esthonica plants in comparison to that of waterlodging, and this can be directly linked to prevalent hydrological conditions of an alkaline fen habitat native to the species. Therefore, the preservation of the natural water regime in natural habitats is critical to the conservation of the species. Full article

The use of mulching in agriculture suppresses the weeds around crop plants, enhances the nutrients status of soil, controls the soil structure and temperature, and reduces soil water evaporation. Excessive use of low-density polyethylene mulches is contributing to the accumulation of high amounts of plastic wastes, an environmental problem for agricultural ecosystems. Fragments of plastic from such wastes can be found in soils, in water resources, and in organisms, including humans. The objective of this work was to study the economic viability of the use of different hydromulches in an artichoke crop. Three blends were prepared by mixing paper pulp (recycled from used paper) and cardboard (from paper mills) with different additives: wheat straw (WS), rice hulls (RH), and substrate used for mushroom cultivation (MS). These were compared with low-density polyethylene (Pe), a treatment without mulching on bare soil where hand weeding was performed (HW), and a treatment without mulching on bare soil where herbicide was applied (H). The results indicate that the use of hydromulch in an artichoke crop represents a good alternative for reducing plastic waste in agriculture. The net profits of the hydromulch treatments (MS, WS, RH) were higher than for HW and H, and slightly lower than for Pe. The most profitable treatment was Pe (€0.69 m⁻³), followed by RH (€0.59 m⁻³), WS (€0.58 m⁻³), MS (€0.47 m⁻³), HW (€0.36 m⁻³), and H (€0.32 m⁻³). A sensitivity analysis showed a probability of negative results of 0.04 in Pe, 0.13 in SM, 0.08 in WS, and 0.07 in RH, so the probability that the grower will make a profit is greater than 0.9 with the use of mulch (except mushroom substrate) or polyethylene. Full article

Broomrape parasitism on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is the most destructive factor for this crop in Egypt. Pot experiments were conducted during the two successive seasons 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 to study the mitigation of broomrape stress on faba bean using a ten-fold dilution of 10% (w/v) spent mushroom substrate extract (SMSE) of Pleurotus ostreatus and the same dilution of culture filtrate of mushroom (MCF) grown in potato dextrose broth (PDB) at a rate of 48 l hectare⁻¹ compared with the commercial herbicide Roundup (Glyphosate 48% emulsifiable concentrate) at a rate of 144 cm³ ha⁻¹ on the two varieties (Misr3 and Sakha3) cultivated in broomrape-infested soil. The treatments include the use of mushroom products as foliar spray and/or soil amendment in addition to Roundup spraying as a recommended treatment. Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) spectroscopy, our results indicate that the major components of the two mushroom products were bioactive compounds such as polyphenol and high molecular weight aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons that may interfere with parasite and host metabolism. These results indicated that SMSE of P. ostreatus and MCF of the same mushroom grown in potato dextrose broth (PDB) gave the best control of broomrape, and increased plant height, root length, leaf area, chlorophyll concentration, relative water content and seed yield (g plant⁻¹), as well as anatomical characters of leaves in the two faba bean varieties (Misr3 and Sakha3), such as upper and lower epidermis, palisade tissue, spongy tissue and vascular bundles. Additionally, electrolyte leakage was decreased in the treated plants compared to control plants and the plants treated with Roundup (glyphosate) because of the important role of SMSE and MCF in the improvement of faba bean water status. Full article

Low-fertility soil and the use of brackish water for irrigation act as obstacles and limit crop production. The utilization of municipal solid waste (MSW), compost (C), and treated wastewater (TWW) is receiving attention nowadays not only to overcome the above limitations but also as an efficient way for waste management and reuse of raw materials. In the present study, MSW compost in different ratios (5%, 10%, 20%, and 40%), fertigation and/or irrigation with TWW were studied in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The addition of compost increased organic content, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and mineral content of the growing media, while fertigation and TWW supported the mineral status of the growing media, and this was reflected in the increase of N, K, and Na in tomato leaves. Plants grown in compost-based media with fertigation produced more leaves, compared to the control, while irrigation with TWW did not increase the number of leaves. Plant biomass increased with the application of ≥20% C, fertigation, and/or TWW applications. Plant yield increased in 40% C, while fertigation increased yield in case of lower (5%-10% C) compost ratios, but TWW application did not change the yield. The combination of high C ratios and fertigation and/or TWW decreased tomato fresh weight. Different levels of C did not affect leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, internal CO₂ concentration, and chlorophyll fluorescence, but, in general, the combination of compost with fertigation and/or TWW affected them negatively. Fruit total soluble solids, acidity, ascorbic acid, firmness, and total phenolics were increased with the high ratios of compost and/or fertigation and TWW applications, but marketability did not. Bacteria (total coliform and Escherichia coli) units increased in growing media subjected to TWW, but lower levels were counted on the fruit, mainly due to splashing or fruit contact with the soil. The results indicate that up to 40% C can be added into the substrate, as increased plant growth and maintained plant yield for greenhouse tomato cultivation is observed, while fertigation and TWW could be used in a controlled manner as alternative means for nutrient and irrigation in vegetables following safety aspects. Full article

Cultivation substrate water status is of great importance to the production of netted muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud.). A prediction model for the substrate water status would be beneficial in irrigation schedule guidance. In this study, the machine learning random forest model was used to forecast plant substrate water status given the phenotypic traits throughout the muskmelon growing season. Here, two varieties of netted muskmelon, “Wanglu” and “Arus”, were planted in a greenhouse under four substrate water treatments and their phenotypic traits were measured by taking the images within the visible and near-infrared spectrums, respectively. Results showed that a simplified model outperformed the original model in forecasting speed, while it only uses the top five most significant contribution traits. The forecast accuracy reached up to 77.60%, 94.37%, and 90.01% for seedling, vine elongation, and fruit growth stages, respectively. Combining the imaging phenotypic traits and machine learning technique would provide a robust forecast of water status around the plant root zones. Full article