scholarly journals Irrigation Strategies for Greenhouse Tomato Production on Rockwool

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 484-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uttam K. Saha ◽  
Athanasios P. Papadopoulos ◽  
Xiuming Hao ◽  
Shalin Khosla
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Root Growth ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Irrigation Schedule ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato

To address the concern that irrigation provides sufficient water to match the crop needs, while not impeding oxygen availability to the roots, we conducted an experiment to develop suitable irrigation schedule(s) for greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) on rockwool. The experimental treatments incorporated the electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution in the rockwool slab (slab-EC) along with the water content (WC) in the rockwool slab (slab-WC) as the irrigation decision-making variables. They were: slab-WC ≤ 70% or slab-EC ≥ 1.4× normal or more (T1), slab-WC ≤ 70% or slab-EC ≥ 1.7× normal or more (T2), slab-WC ≤ 80% or slab-EC ≥ 1.4× normal or more (T3), slab-WC ≤ 80% or slab-EC ≥ 1.7× normal or more (T4), and the combined weight loss (WL) 700 g or more (T5) and WL 500 g or more (T6), in which “normal” means the feed solution EC as recommended in the seasonal fertigation schedule for a spring–summer tomato crop. The data on early-season marketable yield, total seasonal marketable yield, and fruit grades indicated the superiority of treatments T1, T2, and T6 over T3, T4, and T5. Better root growth was observed with T1, T2, and T6 and this was also associated with minimized nutrient solution leaching; furthermore, these plants had an abundance of coarse and fine roots, higher photosynthesis and transpiration, higher marketable yield, and a higher water use efficiency. Our results thus established that irrigation based on either a slab water content 70% or less or a 500-g weight loss is the best strategy for rockwool-grown greenhouse tomatoes in the spring–summer season. A variation in slab-EC between 1.4 and 1.7× normal, at a slab-WC of 70% or less, would have no significant effect on root growth, water use, marketable yield, or fruit grades.

Growth, photosynthesis and productivity of greenhouse tomato cultivated in open or closed rockwool systems

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Hao ◽  
A. P. Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Lycopersicon Esculentum ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato ◽  
Tomato Yield ◽  
Nutrient Film Technique ◽  
Closed Systems ◽  
Environmentally Sound

Two full spring season tomato crops (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. “Trust”) were grown in an open rockwool system with standard rockwool feeding formulae (O-R; conventional method), and in closed rockwool systems with standard rockwool (C-R) or Nutrient Film Technique (C-NFT) feeding formulae (modified in 1997) in 1996 and 1997 to examine the feasibility of a fully closed rockwool production system with appropriate feeding formulae. The closed rockwool system with optimized feeding formulae achieved high marketable yield, similar to that of the open rockwool system. There were no differences in early plant growth, plant biomass or biomass partitioning, and in total fruit yield, size and grades except for the closed rockwool system with the standard rockwool feeding formulae (C-R), which had lower yield than C-NFT in the last month of harvest in 1996. The photosynthesis of old foliage was higher and the root systems at the end of the experiments were rated healthier in plants grown in the closed (C-R and C-NFT) systems than in plants grown in the open (O-R) system. Over 30% of water and fertilizer was saved with the closed systems in comparison to the conventional open system. These results demonstrated that closed rockwool systems with optimized nutrient feedings are economically and environmentally sound alternative methods for greenhouse tomato production in Ontario. Key words: Lycopersicon esculentum, tomato, yield, recycling, rockwool, greenhouse

scholarly journals Water relations of chives in function of salinity and circulation frequency of nutrient solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando J. da Silva Júnior ◽  
José A. Santos Júnior ◽  
Manassés M. da Silva ◽  
Ênio F. de F. e Silva ◽  
Edivan R. de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Dry Matter Partitioning ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Supply Water

ABSTRACT Hydroponic cultivation using saline waters is an alternative for agricultural production, especially in the cultivation of vegetables. Therefore, the present work was conducted with the objective of evaluating the water consumption, water use efficiency and water content, as well as dry matter partitioning of chives (Allium schoenoprasum), cv. Todo Ano Evergreen – Nebuka exposed to six levels of nutrient solution salinity (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5 and 9.0 dS m-1), applied at two circulation frequencies (twice a day at 8 and 16 h; and three times a day - at 8, 12 and 16 h). The level in the nutrient solution reservoir, which decreased according to the water consumption by plants, was replaced with the respective saline water (Experiment I) and supply water (Experiment II). Both experiments used a completely randomized design, in a 6 x 2 factorial scheme, with five replicates. It was observed that increased circulation frequency and the use of supply water in the replacement mitigated the effects of salinity on water consumption, water use efficiency and water content in the plant. However, with the increase in nutrient solution electrical conductivity, dry matter allocation in the roots increased, to the detriment of the shoots.

scholarly journals Effect on Yield and Quality of a Simple System to Recycle Nutrient Solution to Greenhouse Tomato

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1641-1645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin P.N. Gent ◽  
Michael R. Short
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato ◽  
Growth Product ◽  
Effect On Yield ◽  
Dietary Value

Recycling the nutrient solution used for greenhouse vegetable production can prevent groundwater pollution. Recycling could result in an accumulation or deficiency of elements that would be deleterious to plant growth, product quality, and the dietary value of vegetables. Complex fertilizer systems have been developed to maintain appropriate concentrations of all elements in recycled systems. We compared a much simpler system in which all excess solution drained from the plants was recycled without adjustment or dilution compared with a system with no recycling as a control. Crops of greenhouse tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) were grown in two years to compare these systems. Differences in composition of solution drained from the plants developed gradually over more than one month. The transition from vegetative to fruit growth, which coincided with warmer weather, resulted in a decreased demand for nitrate, and other nutrients, and an increase in electrical conductivity (EC) of water drained from the root zone. The composition of the fresh solution supplied to the plants was adjusted accordingly. It took a longer time to re-establish an optimum composition for recycled compared with control watering. EC tended to increase in the recycled system. Recycling decreased total yield and fruit size, but marketable yield was unaffected. The marketable fraction increased in the recycled treatment, primarily as a result of fewer fruit with cracked skin. This effect was consistent across seven cultivars. The cultivars differed in this and other defects, but they did not differ in their response to the two watering systems.

scholarly journals Thermography Study of Moderate Electrical Conductivity and Nutrient Solution Distribution System Effects on Grafted Tomato Soilless Culture

HortScience ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 1508-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isidro Morales ◽  
Miguel Urrestarazu
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Soilless Culture ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Four Blocks

In recent decades, salinity in the culture of tomatoes has been one of the most studied parameters. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a moderate increase in salinity, fertigation distribution, and its control using thermography on a soilless culture of grafted tomato. A tomato crop (cv. Ramyle) grafted onto tomato rootstocks (cv. Emperor) was cultivated in coir crop units at the University of Almeria from Nov. 2012 to May 2013. A plot design subdivided with four blocks was used, with salinity values of 2.0 and 2.5 dS·m−1 in the main plots and fertigation distribution systems with either one (DD1) or four (DD4) drip manifolds in the subplots. The crop productivity was measured using total crop yield, commercial value, and size. The quality parameters in the fruits were not significantly affected. Thermographies were used to aid the control of differential transpiration exerted by salinity. The difference in salinity did not significantly affect the total or commercial production. However, despite being grafted plants, there was a statistically significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on the fruit size distribution when the electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution was increased from 2.0 to 2.5 dS·m−1, with a lower production (16%) of large fruits and an increased production of smaller fruits. The DD4 system significantly increased large tomato production (22%) compared with DD1, and the quality parameters in the fruits were not significantly affected. As a result of the improvement in tomato size, the DD4 distribution system economically offset the required higher initial expenditure compared with the DD1 system. Thermography was revealed to be a robust, simple, and quick tool for diagnosing the effect of salinity on transpiration.

EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF AN OZONIZATION SYSTEM FOR THE DISINFECTION OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION OF A GREENHOUSE TOMATO CROP

2005 ◽  
pp. 389-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Laplante ◽  
D. Brisson ◽  
C. Bovion ◽  
D. Doiron ◽  
L. Gaudreau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato

COMBINED EFFECT OF CLIMATE AND CONCENTRATION OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION ON A GREENHOUSE TOMATO CROP. II: YIELD QUANTITY AND QUALITY

1998 ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Stanghellini ◽  
W.Th.M. van Meurs ◽  
F. Corver ◽  
E. Van Dullemen ◽  
L. Simonse
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Solution ◽  
Combined Effect ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Greenhouse Tomato

scholarly journals (308) Irrigation Strategies for Rockwool-grown Greenhouse Tomatoes

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012A-1012
Author(s):  
Athanasios Papadopoulos ◽  
Uttam Saha ◽  
Xuiming Hao ◽  
Shalin Khosla
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Significant Treatment ◽  
Root Diseases ◽  
Greenhouse Vegetable ◽  
Maximum Root ◽  
Greenhouse Tomatoes

In rockwool-grown greenhouse vegetables, unsatisfactory spatial root development, rapid root collapse, and increased incidence of root diseases are very common. Improved water management could alleviate these problems to some extent, because this could favorably modify water-air distribution in the slab, thereby improving greenhouse vegetable yield and quality. The present study tested six irrigation strategies on the productivity of rockwool-grown tomatoes (cv. Rapsodie) during Jan.o–Aug. 2004. The four treatments, based on electronic Grodan? water content meters (WCMs), received irrigations when the slab water content (SWC) was ≈60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% while the other two treatments, based on balances, applied irrigations after a 700- or 500-g loss in the daily-adjusted slab weight (LDASW). Initially, we noticed a heterogeneous EC build-up in the slabs across various treatments, which probably distorted the expression of treatment effects (if any) on plant growth, yield, and water use. To minimize this problem, an EC control strategy of applying extra irrigation was devised and adopted in two sequential phases: 1) application of a 30-minute-long extra irrigation twice a week (for 7 weeks); and 2) extra irrigation(s) using the irrigation control routine of an Argus computer when the slab EC was ≈3.5 mS/cm (for 5 weeks). Slab EC was well controlled in both these phases and we observed significant treatment effects on root growth and marketable yield. Analyzing the results, we concluded that irrigating at 70% to 80% SWC was best for maximum root growth as well as marketable yield. The two irrigation treatments based on the 700- and 500-g LDASW were well maintained and performed equally well, producing marketable yields comparable to those produced by irrigating at 70% and 80% SWC.

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