Simulation of the Number of Strawberry Transplants Produced by an Autotrophic Transplant Production Method in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting

Seon Woo Park,Changhoo Chun,Sung Kyeom Kim,Yurina Kwack

doi:10.3390/horticulturae6040063

Seon Woo Park, Changhoo Chun + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6040063

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Abstract

To verify the productivity of the autotrophic transplant production method (ATPM), a novel propagation method in a plant factory with artificial lighting for transplant production (T-PFAL), strawberry transplants were produced by the ATPM for 365 days. A total of 3497 transplants were produced by the ATPM over 365 days with nine propagules in a cultivation area of 3.6 m2 in the T-PFAL. When the simulated results were fit with the measured results, the propagation cycle timescales from planting propagules to producing the first, second, and third runner plants were 15, 27, and 43 days, respectively. The cumulative number of transplants (CNT) produced from 5, 10, and 20 initial propagules in a cultivation area of 36 m2 over 365 days was simulated by the verified program along with the propagation cycles, and these values were 27,970, 30,010, and 31,900, respectively. The simulated CNTs from nine initial propagules in 18 and 72 m2 over 365 days were 15,950 and 55,940, respectively. These results indicate that the ATPM is an appropriate propagation method to produce transplants rapidly in a T-PFAL, especially when the number of propagules or propagules is limited.

Highlights

Programs for the production of certified disease-free plants have been developed in major strawberry production countries to prevent the spread of diseases during the propagation and supplementation of high-quality propagules [1]
We evaluated strawberry transplant production by the autotrophic transplant production method (ATPM) based on the number of initial propagules and propagation area simulated by the program to predict the production of strawberry transplants and determined the required cultivation areas to produce prebasic and basic transplants from 100 nuclear transplants for a year
We grew them to produce runner plants and new propagules for propagation generation in the T-plant factory using artificial lighting (PFAL) using ATPM for 365 days

Summary

Introduction

Programs for the production of certified disease-free plants have been developed in major strawberry production countries to prevent the spread of diseases during the propagation and supplementation of high-quality propagules [1]. The low propagation rate of transplants under conventional propagation methods is a major problem for the rapid distribution of certified plants, as 40 transplants are produced from a propagule per year with conventional methods [3]. The efficiency of the propagation and distribution system can be improved by reducing the time for dissemination of disease-free or new cultivar transplants if prebasic or basic transplants can be produced from 100 nuclear transplants per year. We evaluated strawberry transplant production by the ATPM based on the number of initial propagules and propagation area simulated by the program to predict the production of strawberry transplants and determined the required cultivation areas to produce prebasic and basic transplants from 100 nuclear transplants for a year

Runner Plants Production over One Year

Data Analysis

Results and Discussion