Abstract
To exploit the full potential of plants, it is essential to provide an adequate water balance during critical growth stages. With knowledge of the substrate’s matric potential, it is possible to realistically measure the amount of water available to the plant. The objective of this research is to study the effect of the matric potential of the substrate on the growth of beans, lettuce, sweet peppers, watermelon, and cauliflower plants. The research goal was to evaluate the effect of the matric potential on the main fertigation parameters of horticultural plants. The plants were cultivated at the University of Almería (Spain) in a controlled chamber in a pot with 250 mL of coconut fiber substrate from block propagation. For treatments T15, T30, T45, and T60, new irrigation was applied when easily available water (EAW) depletion levels of 15, 30, 45, and 60% were reached, respectively. The efficiency of the use of water (WUE), nitrate (NUE), and potassium (KUE) was measured. From T15 to T60, a significant effect was found for the absorption of water, nitrate and potassium, WUE, NUE, and KUE. T60 reduced the plant growth by half. The largest growth was between 15 and 30% of the level of use of EAW. Two different models were constructed according to each plant. It is possible to have a small depletion in the available water and still have plant growth, if there is a balance between the air and water needs of the substrate.
Highlights
It is well-known that irrigation and fertigation are key factors influencing plant water status (Lu et al 2019) and mineral nutrition
There are few works published in relation to regulated deficit irrigation in vegetable crops under soilless culture, and the results show growth yield reduction in many cases and an increase in water use efficiency (Wang et al 2012; Yang et al 2017)
The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of various levels of the substrate matric potential through the level of use of a determined easily available water (EAW) volume on (1) vegetative growth of vegetable plants, (2) water and mineral absorption, and (3) water and nutrient use efficiency of vegetable plants grown under substrate soilless culture
Summary
It is well-known that irrigation and fertigation are key factors influencing plant water status (Lu et al 2019) and mineral nutrition. CIAMBITAL (Research Centre for Intensive Mediterranean Agrosystems and Agrifood Biotechnology), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain a water column was recommended (de Boodt and Verdonck 1972) and later confirmed by other researchers for ornamental plants grown in soilless culture (Caron et al 1998; Jobin et al 2004; Londra et al 2018). This range maintained the available water (EAW) and provided the necessary air between their solid particles. Models of (1) cultural management (Cunha-Chiamolera et al 2017), (2) fertigation systems (Urrestarazu et al 2015), and (3) in comparison to inorganic substrates (Pozo et al 2014) have been developed using coir substrates as references
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