Rose (Rosa sp.) plants (`Mercedes') were grown in yellow tuff (YT) (volcanic ash, scoria) and pumice from Italy (PI) and Greece (PG) for which physical and hydraulic characteristics were determined. The differences among the measured retention curves of these materials result in significant differences among their relative hydraulic conductivity functions. The hydraulic conductivity of YT is much higher than that of PI, which is higher than that of PG. The plants were subjected to optimal growth and nutrition conditions. Irrigation was controlled using electronic tensiometers, at suction values well within the range of easily available water: 13 cm for YT and 8 cm for the two pumice types. Nonetheless, yields were significantly higher in YT than in PI; yields were even lower in PG. We suggest that the limiting factor was the dynamic water availability to the plants, which is affected mainly by the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. The relative hydraulic conductivity of YT at 13 cm is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of PI at 8 cm. The relative hydraulic conductivity of PG at 8 cm is two orders of magnitude lower than that of YT at 13 cm. It seems that the current concept of easily available water, based on a predetermined suction range, independent of the hydraulic characteristics of the media, is not an appropriate parameter for irrigation management in soilless culture. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, being a characteristic function of the medium and highly sensitive to moisture variation, indicates better the actual availability of water to the roots. Therefore, it should be used for irrigation control in containers filled with porous substrates.
widely dispersed such as rockwool, perlite, or coconut fiber, which occupy areas of ≈5000 to 5500 ha ( Urrestarazu, 2013 ). Table 1. Variation in some characteristics of pozzolans (volcanic rocks) used in soilless culture systems worldwide. Currently, the
A greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the effect of cationic proportions (K, Ca, Mg) in the nutrient solution on carotenoids and α-tocopherol content at green–orange, orange, red, and intense-red ripening stages using a high-pigment tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar hp (`Lunarossa') and a standard cultivar (`Corfù') grown in a soilless culture. The highest lycopene concentration was observed in the `hp' cultivar at the red and intense-red ripening stages (3.0 mg/100 g fresh weight and 3.2 mg/100 g fresh weight respectively). In both cultivars, the concentration of β-carotene increased during the ripening stages, reaching the highest value (0.6 mg/100 g fresh weight) at the intense-red stage. The hp cultivar has guaranteed higher lycopene (average, 2.0 mg/100 g fresh weight vs. 1.7 mg/100 g fresh weight) and α-tocopherol contents (average, 1.2 mg/100 g fresh weight vs. 0.9 mg/100 g fresh weight) than those of the standard. In both cultivars, a high proportion of K in the nutrient solution increased antioxidant concentration β-carotene and especially lycopene) during the red and intense-red ripening stages, followed by Mg. The lowest values were recorded for the Ca treatment. Lastly, a positive correlation was recorded between fruit tissue K and lycopene content, whereas a negative correlation was observed between fruit tissue Ca and lycopene content.
exceptionally used for plant growth, whereas particle sizes ranging from 0 to 5 or 0 to 8 mm are normally used in soilless culture. Fine particles are generally associated with small pores and thus have a high water-holding capacity and media hydraulic
vitamin C content of this cultivar to save a high amount of water irrigation. Materials and Methods A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the Soilless Culture Department, Vegetables and Flowers Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Two greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivars with differing fruit types [European (`Bologna') and Beit-alpha (`Sarig')] were grown during two seasons in a perlite medium in black plastic nursery containers in a passively ventilated greenhouse in northern Florida to evaluate fruiting responses to nitrogen (N) fertilization over the range of 75 to 375 mg·L–1. Fruit production, consisting mostly of fancy fruits, increased quadratically with N concentration in the nutrient solution, leveling off above 225 mg·L–1 for both cucumber cultivars. Fruit length and diameter were not affected by N concentration in the nutrient solution. Leaf N concentration, averaged over three sampling dates, increased linearly with N concentration in the nutrient solution from 46 g·kg–1 with 75 mg·L–1 N to 50 g·kg–1 with 375 mg·L–1 N. Fruit firmness decreased with increasing N concentration and there was little difference in firmness between the two cultivars. Firmness was similar across three measurement dates during the spring harvest season, but increased during the season in the fall. Fruit color responses to N concentration were dependent on the specific combination of experiment, sampling date, and cultivar. For most combinations of experiment, sampling date, and cultivar, cucumber epidermal color was greener (higher hue angle) with increased N concentration. The color was darkest (lowest L* value) and most intense (highest chroma value) with intermediate to higher N concentrations.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the remediation of ferric chlorosis using by iron (Fe)-o,o-EDDHA in fertigation of soilless crops compared with Fe-EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid) and its effects on production. Two separate greenhouse experiments were conducted in slab or bag cultures using the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Daniela) and green bean crops (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Maite) in Almería (southeast Spain). The crops were subjected to the following experimental setup: 1) At first phase, all plants were treated with a standard nutrient solution and Fe was supplied as Fe-EDTA. 2) No Fe was supplied in the nutrient solution to bean crops 46 days after transplanting. For tomato plants, this element was eliminated from the nutrient solution since 102 days after transplanting. In this phase, Fe-EDTA was supplied to the control plants (T1). This phase was ended when signs of ferric chlorosis appeared on the leaves. 3) The ferric chlorosis was remediated with either Fe-EDTA (T2) or Fe-o,o-EDDHA (T3). The T4 group did not receive any supplements. The total tomato and bean production was improved after the Fe deficiency had been corrected by either EDTA and Fe o,o-EDDHA supplements in the fertigation of these crops. The synthetic Fe o,o-EDDHA chelate alleviated Fe deficiency by increasing the amount of iron in the rhizosphere and its supply to the leaves and petioles. Consequently, the decrease in tomato and bean production resulting from ferric chlorosis could be prevented. As a conclusion, the remediation of ferric chlorosis through fertigation with Fe o,o-EDDHA is as effective as the use of traditional Fe-EDTA.
94 Lee, J.M. Oda, M. 2003 Grafting of herbaceous vegetable and ornamental crops Hort. Rev. 28 61 124 Martínez-Gutiérrez, G. Zárate-Altamirano, G. Urrestarazu, M. 2012 Maguey bagasse waste as sustainable substrate in soilless culture by melon and
A very practical definition of “soilless culture” is the growth of nonaquatic plants with roots in a substrate without mineral soil, where plant nutrient needs are supplied with a nutrient solution. Soilless culture has various classification
. Raviv and J.H. Lieth (eds.). Soilless culture, theory and practice. Elsevier, London, UK 10.1016/B978-044452975-6.50011-3 Blok, C. Jackson, B.E. Guo, X. de Visser, P.H. Marcelis, L.F. 2017 Maximum plant uptakes for water, nutrients, and oxygen are not