The effect of different nutrient solutions on some growth indices of greenhouse cucumber in soilless culture

Abstract

Today, greenhouse cultivation of vegetables, especially cucumber in soilless culture has been developed in different parts of the world. Soilless culture creates the possibility that farmers in a shorter time with less effort produce more yield. This research was done in the greenhouses center in Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan with three kinds of nutrient solutions and so completely randomized block design with three replication and five bushes per every replication was done. The media was composition of perlite and cocopite (v/v = 50%). Plant height, stem diameter, intensity of leaf colour, leaf area index, stiffness of fruit tissue, yield of fruits, dry matter weight were measured in every treatments. Comparison of means of cucumber fruit yield showed that there are no significant difference between solutions No 3, 2 and 1 in 5% level. The results showed that No 3 nutrient solution had most effect on the intensity of leaf colour, stem diameter, plant height and leaf area index as compared with other nutrient solutions during the growth season. No 2 nutrient solution had most effect on the weight of plant dry matter, weight of fruit dry matter and stiffness of fruit tissue. The height means of cucumber plants in treatments had no significant difference at 5% level. The comparison of stem diameter means showed that No 3 and 2 nutrient solution had significant difference at 5% level with No 2 solution but it had not any significant difference with No 1 nutrient solution at 5% level. The weight means of dry matter of fruit and green colour intensity of leaves had no significant difference between No 3 and 1 nutrition solutions but this nutrition solutions had significant difference with No 2 solution at 5% level. The comparision of leaf area index means showed that all of nutrient solutions had no significant difference at 5% level. The results showed that stiffness of fruit tissue in No 3 and 1 nutrient solutions had not any significant differences but between No 3 and 2 nutrient solutions had significant difference in 5% level. The means of dry matter weight of plant in No 3, 2 and 1 nutrient solutions had no significant difference in 5% level.