Exploring the Physiological Traits of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Cultivated in a Sandponics Growing System

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Sandponics is an advanced system that promotes food security. It involves growing plants and fish together in a recycled ecosystem that uses natural bacterial cycles to use fish waste as plant nutrition. Eggplant is considered one of the most important crops known for its nutritional benefits. Eggplant (French Flomorin species), were grown in Sandponics panels and regular ground, where five plants were randomly selected from each experimental unit in the vegetative growth stage, physiological indicators and antioxidant were recorded. The results showed that there was a significant difference for water quality in total chlorophyll content, showing higher levels in plants irrigated with fish-free water than those with fish water, and there were no significant differences for water quality in chlorophyll A concentration and chlorophyll B concentration. The results also indicate that there is a significant difference between water quality for the concentration of glutathione, as the highest concentration was recorded in fruits irrigated with fish water compared to fruits irrigated with fish-free water. While there is a significant difference between the quality of water for the concentration of proline, as the highest concentration was recorded in fruits irrigated with fish-free water compared to fruits irrigated with fish wat. There are significant differences in water quality for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. The average concentrations are higher when watered with fish water, compared to the average concentrations when irrigated with fish-free water. ‏