Search Results (4)

Desalinated seawater (DSW) is nowadays a competitive alternative for irrigating intensive greenhouse crops in regions with scarce water resources. This research, carried out for three years, analyzed the effects of three desalinated seawater (DSW) blends with different salinity levels and two common growing media (soil and soilless) on the fruit quality of a tomato crop grown under Mediterranean greenhouse conditions. To analyze the effect of the three experimental factors on fruit quality, a randomized block design layout was employed, and a multifactorial ANOVA analysis was conducted. Four successive harvests were performed in each growing cycle at similar dates and under consistent crop conditions to analyze the effect of harvest timing on fruit quality. Fruit quality parameters, such as fresh and dry weight, fruit diameter, total dissolved solids (TDS), and firmness, were measured on a representative sample of fruits from each harvest, treatment, and growing cycle. Results showed that the experimental factors studied significantly influenced fruit quality. Increasing salinity treatments reduced fruit size but improved fruit quality. The growing media had no significant effect on fruit size, although soilless crops yielded better quality fruits than the soil-grown ones. Later harvests tended to provide lower-yield but higher-quality fruits. This study demonstrates that the conjunctive use of DSW and conventional water can help to improve both quality and yield of tomato fruit while guaranteeing the sustainability of the greenhouse horticultural system. Full article

This study conducts a bibliometric and content analysis based on publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, aiming to map the evolution and key themes in horticultural research in the context of technological innovation and sustainability. The results reveal a strong orientation toward digitalization and automation, particularly through the integration of artificial intelligence, mechatronic systems, and sensor-based monitoring in crop management. In the field of biotechnology, keywords such as gene expression, genetic diversity, and micropropagation reflect a sustained research interest in improving crop resilience and disease resistance through genetic and in vitro propagation techniques. Furthermore, concepts such as environmental control, soilless culture, energy efficiency, and co-generation highlight the focus on optimizing growing conditions and integrating renewable energy sources into protected horticultural systems. The geographical distribution of studies highlights increased academic output in countries like India and regions of sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting a global interest in transferring advanced technologies to vulnerable areas. Moreover, collaboration networks are dominated by leading institutions such as Wageningen University, which act as hubs for knowledge diffusion. The findings suggest that future research should prioritize the development of durable, energy-efficient horticultural technologies adapted to various agro-climatic zones. It is recommended that policymakers and stakeholders support interdisciplinary research initiatives, promote knowledge transfer mechanisms, and ensure equitable access to innovation for smallholder farmers and emerging economies. Full article

The importance of implementing recirculating drainage for greenhouse strawberries is often overlooked because of the low electrical conductivity (EC) of drainage and transpiration despite the large area of cultivation in Korea. In this study, we analyzed the growth of strawberry crops and their water and individual nutrient use efficiency when using closed-loop hydroponics in greenhouses. The study consisted of two parts: Experiment (Exp) 1 and Exp 2, each of which employed a different closed-loop hydroponic control method. In Exp 1, the system was controlled solely based on the EC of the drainage mixed with raw water. In Exp 2, the nutrient solution (NS) was corrected according to the ion concentrations in the drainage, with correction intervals of 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and no correction, while the control treatment was open-loop. In Exp 1, a prolonged increase in drainage EC resulted in an imbalance in NS ion composition and reduced fruit yield. In Exp 2, the NS composition was stabilized through periodic nutrient correction, and the fruit yield of the closed-loop treatments did not differ from the open-loop treatment. However, the closed-loop with 2- and 4-week correction in Exp 2 showed 94% and 88% higher nutrient use efficiency (NUE), respectively, than an open-loop system. Among the closed-loop treatments, the 2- and 4-week correction intervals had 36% and 32% higher NUE than the no-correction treatment. Furthermore, the 2-week correction interval showed a 3% improvement in NUE compared to the 4-week interval. These findings highlight the importance of considering a shorter ion correction interval for optimal NUE and normal plant growth in recirculating hydroponic systems of strawberry cultivation. Full article

Soilless culture has become an effective technique to avoid continuous cropping obstacles in protected horticulture. The reliable measurement of substrate moisture and a rational irrigation are difficult tasks because of the low water-holding capacity of the substrate. Our objectives were to study the irrigation scheduling based on the ECH₂O moisture sensor(EC-5), using a matched model of wetting pattern and lettuce root zone in the substrate under drip irrigation. The EC-5 sensor was designed to connect to a controller, and a threshold value of 0.14 cm³/cm³ was set for irrigation scheduling. The controller turned on the irrigation system via communication with a solenoid valve on the irrigation line and with the EC-5 sensor in response to a threshold value and stopped when the overlap area of the wetting pattern and crop root zone was more than 90%. The EC-5 sensors were installed at a horizontal distance from each plant and depth of 3 and 4 cm, respectively, under the substrate surface to the check substrate moisture for lettuce cultivation, and at (3,15) cm or (6,15) cm to monitor leakage. These parameters were determined by simultaneously considering the distance from the plants, the depths of effective root water extraction, and the region of substrate wetted volume under drip irrigation. Leakage occurred during each irrigation process, but the leakage ratewas15.7% lower than that of conventional irrigation, as a result of irrigation scheduling in the presence of the EC-5 sensors. Full article