Growth Of Leafy Vegetables Research Articles

Early detection of N, P, K deficiency in Choy Sum using hyperspectral imaging-based spatial spectral feature mining

Leafy vegetables are widely consumed around the world for their rich nutritional qualities. To ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply of leafy vegetables in the future, advancements in their production are essential. Deficiencies of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) impair growth of leafy vegetables and the ensuing visual symptoms make the plants unmarketable. We studied the use of non-contact large area hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for early detection of N, P and K deficiencies in the leafy vegetable, Choy Sum, before the appearance of visual symptoms. The wide spectral data of 500–900 nm extracted from the plants were subjected to advanced feature mining, facilitating the creation of novel spectral indices tailored to each vital nutrient by leveraging the Pearson’s correlations of 0.85 for N, 0.64 for P, and 0.68 for K with gold standard elemental concentration data. Early detection of deficiencies and timely replenishment of macronutrient(s) can prevent the development of obvious symptoms and thus maintain the visual quality of Choy Sum. These newly created spectral indices hold the potential to provide non-destructive estimation of nutrient content in plants, offering a promising avenue for future advancements in precision agriculture and resource-efficient crop management.

Case study: Sowing Seeds of Sustainability: A Case Study on Singrass's Indoor Smart Eco Farm

This case study explores the innovative approach of Singrass, an indoor smart eco farm based in Singapore, in revolutionizing urban farming. Singrass specializes in cultivating 27 types of fresh, pesticide-free leafy vegetables and spices, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices in urban spaces. The indoor smart ecosystem of Singrass leverages the existing indoor conditions to purify the air from harmful pollutants and acts as a carbon sink, absorbing more carbon dioxide than it releases. By creating a controlled environment indoors, Singrass optimizes the growth of leafy vegetables, ensuring they are free from pesticides and safe for consumption. This paper discusses the benefits of such a system, including reduced environmental impact, energy efficiency, improved air quality, stress relief, cost savings, and convenience in gardening. The paper also compares Singrass's air purification method with traditional air purification systems and discusses the energy-saving features and technologies incorporated in indoor smart ecosystems. The study concludes by highlighting the significant role of innovative solutions like Singrass in promoting sustainability and food security in growing urban settings.

Dynamic Fresh Weight Prediction of Substrate-Cultivated Lettuce Grown in a Solar Greenhouse Based on Phenotypic and Environmental Data

The fresh weight of vegetables is an important index for the accurate evaluation of growth processes, which are affected by factors such as temperature and radiation fluctuation, especially in a passive solar greenhouse. Predicting dynamic growth indexed by fresh weight in a solar greenhouse remains a challenge. A novel method for predicting the dynamic growth of leafy vegetables based on the in situ sensing of phenotypic and environmental data of batches is proposed herein, enabling prediction of the dynamic fresh weight of substrate-cultivated lettuce grown in a solar greenhouse under normal water and fertilizer conditions. Firstly, multibatch lettuce cultivation experiments were carried out and batch datasets constructed by collecting growth environmental data and lettuce canopy images in real time. Secondly, the cumulative environmental factors and instantaneous fresh weights of the lettuce batches were calculated. The optimum response time in days was then explored through the most significant correlations between cumulative environmental factors and fresh weight growth. Finally, a dynamic fresh weight prediction model was established using a naive Bayesian network, based on cumulative environmental factors, instantaneous fresh weight, and the fresh weight increments of batches. The results showed that the computing time setpoint of cumulative environmental factors and instantaneous fresh weight of lettuce was 8:00 AM and the optimum response time was 12 days, and the average R2 values among samples from three batches reached 95.95%. The mean relative error (MRE) of fresh weight prediction 4 days into the future based on data from the current batch was not more than 9.57%. Upon introducing another batch of data, the prediction 7 days into the future dropped below 8.53% MRE; upon introducing another two batches, the prediction 9 days into the future dropped below 9.68% MRE. The accuracy was improved by the introduction of additional data batches, proving the model’s feasibility. The proposed dynamic fresh weight growth prediction model can support the automatic management of substrate-cultivated leafy vegetables in a solar greenhouse.

Effects of Light Conversion Film on the Growth of Leafy Vegetables in Facilities under Haze Weather

The light intensity is low in haze weather, and the facility is in a weak light environment for a long time. As a functional film, light conversion film (LCF) can improve the light conversion performance and is conducive to regulating the environment in the facility to promote crop growth. It can be seen from the test that the light transmittance of LCF under visible light conditions (400–780 nm) is 8.67% higher than that of ordinary film (OF), with stronger light transmittance. In the red–orange light band (600–700 nm), the LCF is 1.3% higher than that of the OF. Through the detection of irradiance, it was found that the irradiance was outdoor environment > LCF > OF in any weather. A two-year greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of LCF on the whole growth process of facility agriculture (environment-soil-crop) under weak light. It is found that LCF reduces the air humidity by 0.47~2.83%; it has an obvious warming effect on the surface soil of greenhouse, and it is linearly correlated with temperature. In terms of crop growth, LCF significantly (p < 0.05) increased the photosynthetic rate at heading stage, and finally increased the yield, total soluble sugar and reduction-type Vitamin C by 8.97–39.53%, 9.22–30.14%, and 1.41–21.09%, respectively. In addition, considering the frequent haze weather in North China, the use of LCF can improve air temperature, CO2 concentration, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and soil temperature, and it can effectively deal with the challenge of weak light. In conclusion, LCF can improve the facility environment and improve crop yield and quality, indicating that the implementation of LCF has potential benefits in solving crop yield reduction and quality decline in haze weather. In addition, as the main component of LCF, rare earth materials are a new type of clean energy, which can effectively promote the sustainable development of the agricultural ecosystem.

Supplemental daily light integral by LED light to improve the growth of leafy vegetables in aquaponics system

Supplemental daily light integral by LED light to improve the growth of leafy vegetables in aquaponics system

A field study on using soybean waste-derived superabsorbent hydrogel to enhance growth of vegetables

Food security is critical and has become a global concern with many of our basic food crops growing in areas with high drought risk. To improve soil water holding capacity, hydrogels are a promising solution. However, the current ones are mostly derived from petroleum products and are environmental unsustainable. In this study, the main objective is to determine if bio-based hydrogel can help in the growth of leafy vegetables while minimizing water use under field conditions. To achieve this, we developed an okara-derived hydrogel (Ok-PAA; OP) from by-products of bean curd and soybean milk production. We incorporated OP into soil and assessed the growth performance of leafy vegetables. We observed that vegetables grown with 0.2% (w/v) OP in soil with a watering frequency of 7 times per week resulted in >60 % and 35 % yield increase for the common Asian leafy vegetables, choy sum (CS) and pak choi (PC), respectively, as compared to without hydrogel supplementation. Both vegetables produced larger leaf areas (20–40 % increment) in the presence of the hydrogel as compared to those without. In addition, with OP amendment, the irrigation water use efficiency improved >60 % and 30 % for CS and PC, respectively. It is estimated that with the use of the hydrogel, a reduction in watering frequency from 21 times to 7 times per week could be achieved, and based on a per hectare estimation, this would result in 196,000 L of water saving per crop cycle. Statistical analysis and modelling further confirmed vegetables grown with 0.2 % (w/v) OP and with a watering frequency of 7 times per week showed the best growth performance and water use efficiency. Such a waste-to-resource approach offers a plant-based soil supplement for crop growers, contributes to waste valorization, and enhances the growth of plants especially under water-limited conditions.

Effects of Foliar and Soil-Applied Liquid Organic Fertilizers on the Growth of <em>Basella alba</em> L. and <em>Centella asiatica</em> L.

Purpose: Environmental-friendly organic fertilizers reduce the adverse impacts of chemical fertilizers. This study was conducted to formulate organic liquid fertilizers using selected plant materials i.e., Tithonia diversifolia, Mikania scandens, Chromolaena odorata and Gliricidia sepium with selected organic wastes to compare the efficacies of foliar and soil-applications over the growth of leafy vegetables; Basella alba and Centella asiatica. Research Method: Selected plant materials were allowed to decompose for two months and thereafter fish waste was hydrolyzed separately with fruit wastes of Carica papaya, Ananas comosus and (1:1 w/w) mixture of both were mixed and nutrients analyzed. Fertilizers were foliar and soil-applied separately on C. asiatica and B. alba in RCBD in pot trials. Findings: Fertilizer formulated with decomposed plants + fish waste hydrolyzed with C. papaya significantly recorded the highest N (0.57%), P (0.06%) and highest growth of C. asiatica and B. alba over both soil and foliar applications followed by the fertilizer formulated with decomposed plants + fish waste hydrolyzed with C. papaya + A. comosus. Foliar-application of B. alba significantly showed the highest growth than the soil-application [shoot height (36.6±3.4 cm vs 30.0±1.5 cm), number of leaves per plant (21.7±1.4 vs 17.5±0.8) and plant fresh-weight (61.5±1.8 vs 55.6±0.9 g)] whereas, C. asiatica indicated no significant difference considering both fertilizer application methods. Research limitation: Pot experiments were carried out to provide uniform soil conditions for the experiment which was the main limitation compared to field trials. Originality/value: The formulated novel fertilizers could be utilized effectively in organic farming for safe and healthy leafy vegetables which reduce the adverse impacts of chemical fertilizers.

사료 내 일인산칼륨 수준이 Hybrid 바이오플락 아쿠아포닉 시스템 내 황쏘가리(Siniperca scherzeri) 및 엽채류 4종의 생산성과 수질변화에 미치는 영향

This study investigated the effects of dietary monobasic potassium phosphate (MKP) on the growth of gold mandarin fish and four leafy vegetables in a hybrid biofloc technology aquaponic system (HBFT-AP). Fish were fed a type of a dough mixed with water and mash diet containing MKP (MKP 0.0%, 1.5% and 3.0%) for 8 weeks. The experiment was designed to stabilize water quality using diet without MKP for 1-4 weeks and examined the effect of the three diets on productivity of the fish and leafy vegetables in the HBFT-AP for 5-8 weeks. After the 8-week feeding trial, the growth factors of fish fed three diets were not significantly different (P>0.05), but hematological factors (hemoglobin, inorganic phosphorus and potassium) were significantly different (P<0.05). Inorganic nitrogen compounds and phosphate were measured six times a week using reagent measurements. The TAN (0.12-2.12 mg/L), NO₃-N (9.0-23.7 mg/L) and PO₄-P (6.12-25.80 mg/L) levels increased with time, while the NO₂-N level remained below 0.1 mg/L. MKP 3.0% group had a higher leafy weight (g) in 3 kinds of cultivar (caipira, manchu perilla leaf, ezatrix ) compared to those of other groups (MKP 0.0% and MKP 1.5%). The present results suggested that dietary MKP could improve growth of leafy vegetables in aquaponics.

Comparative study on growth of leafy vegetables grown in a hybrid BFT-aquaponics using Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica and hydroponics

Aquaponics is a cultivation system that combines aquaculture and agricultural hydroponics. This study investigated the productivity of leafy vegetables cultivated in the hybrid biofloc technology-aquaponics (HBFT-AP) using Japanese eel fed two kinds of diets (Mash, commercial powdered feed and extruded pellet [EP]) and hydroponics (HP).The mash was fed to the fish in a type of a dough mixed with water for 6 weeks (Exp1) and switched to the EP containing 2.7% monobasic potassium phosphate (MKP) for subsequent 6 weeks (Exp2). Leafy vegetables of 8 cultivar were employed in the experiment and water quality [dissolved oxygen (DO, mg/L), pH, water temperature (°C), electrical conductivity (EC; μs/cm), turbidity (NTU), TAN (NH3 + NH4 +) (mg/L), NO2-N (mg/L), NO3-N (mg/L) and PO4-P (mg/L)] was measured 6 times a week. Leafy vegetable productivity (HBFT-AP vs HP) was compared in respective experiment, which was similar or somewhat higher in HBFT-AP. During the 12-week feeding trial, concentrations of nitrite (NO2-N) and phosphorus (PO4-P) were kept low in variability while total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and NO3-N levels increased with time in HBFT-AP. At the end of two feeding trials, values of weight gain (WG, %), feed efficiency (FE, %), specific growth rate (SGR, %) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were higher in Exp2 than in Exp1. As well, higher values in hematocrit (PCV, %), plasma K (mEq/L) and inorganic phosphorus (mg/dL) were found (p &lt; 0.05) in Exp2 where fish were fed the EP (EP: 38.60%, 2.80 mEq/L and 7.04 g/dL; Mash: 33.20%, 1.95 mEq/L and 5.50 g/dL). Leafy vegetables in HBFT-AP using Japanese eel fed the EP with MKP 2.7% had a productivity similar (4 kinds of cultivar) or somewhat higher (4 kinds of cultivar) compared to those in HP. Also, Japanese eel fed the EP showed higher values of Pi (m/dL) and K (mEq/L) in plasma compared to those fed commercial powder diet.

Effect of Vermicompost Amendment on the Accumulation and Chemical Forms of Trace Metals in Leafy Vegetables Grown in Contaminated Soils.

(1) Background: Trace metal (TM) contamination of farmland soil in Taiwan occurs because factories dump wastewater into irrigation ditches. Since vermicompost affects the bioavailability of TMs, the objective of this study was to evaluate its effects on the accumulation of growth of TMs in leafy vegetables. (2) Methods: Two TM-contaminated soils and different types of pak choi and lettuce were used and amended with vermicompost. Besides soil properties, the study assessed vermicompost’s influence on the growth, accumulation, and chemical forms of TMs and on the health risks posed by oral intake. (3) Results: Vermicompost could increase the content of soil organic matter, available phosphorus, exchangeable magnesium, and exchangeable potassium, thus promoting the growth of leafy vegetables. The accumulation of four TMs in crops under vermicompost was reduced compared to the control, especially for the concentration of cadmium, which decreased by 60–75%. The vermicompost’s influence on changing the chemical form of TMs depended on the TM concentrations, type of TM, and crop species; moreover, blanching effectively reduced the concentrations of TMs in high-mobility chemical forms. Although vermicompost mostly reduced the amount of cadmium consumed via oral intake, cadmium still posed the highest health risk compared to the other three TMs.

The Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris Strain PS3 Exerts Plant Growth-Promoting Effects by Stimulating Nitrogen Uptake and Elevating Auxin Levels in Expanding Leaves.

Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain PS3, a phototrophic bacterium, was originally isolated from a paddy field located in Taipei city, Taiwan, and showed positive effects on the growth of leafy vegetables. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of the beneficial effects exerted by PS3 on plants. An ineffective R. palustris strain, YSC3, isolated from a paddy field located in Yilan County, was used as the negative control for comparative analyses. We cultivated non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) in 1/2 strength Hoagland hydroponic solution, in which nitrate is the main nitrogen source. We evaluated various plant physiological responses to inoculation with different bacterial inoculants. The N use efficiency (NUE) of PS3-inoculated plants was dramatically higher than that of YSC3-inoculated plants. The nitrate uptake efficiency (NUpE) was significantly elevated in plants treated with PS3; however, no excess nitrate accumulation was observed in leaves. We also noticed that the endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels as well as the cell division rate in the leaves of PS3-inoculated plants were significantly higher than those in the leaves of YSC3-inoculated plants. We examined the bacterial transcription of some genes during root colonization, and found that the expression level of IAA synthesis related gene MAO was almost the same between these two strains. It suggests that the elevated endogenous IAA in the PS3-inoculated plants was not directly derived from the exogenous IAA produced by this bacterium. Taken together, we deduced that PS3 inoculation could promote plant growth by enhancing nitrate uptake and stimulating the accumulation of endogenous auxin in young expanding leaves to increase the proliferation of leaf cells during leaf development.

Influence of Dead Sheep Compost Material Using Aerobic Technique on the Growth of Leafy Vegetables in Kuwait under Greenhouse Conditions

Composting of dead sheep is a new venture in Kuwait targeted at effective disposal of the carcasses and utilizing it as nutrient for soil to enhance agricultural crop productivity. There are two phases of mortality composting (a. production of compost material and b. utilization of compost material enhancing Kuwait soils). Mortality composting has proven more viable and cost-effective solution for proper recycling and utilization of dead sheep. Attempts were taken to exploit the compost generated from dead sheep as substrate for two major leafy vegetable (Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea cv. Blue star) and leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Romaine-ROUGE d’HIVER). Mortality sheep compost was prepared with fine, medium and coarse saw dust as substrate as well as using a rotary ecodrum composter and used along with Peatmoss: Perilite: Sawdust in the ratio 1:1:1. Commercially available compost was used as standard for comparison and soilless medium without compost served as the control. The results revealed that plants grown in compost prepared by Ecodrum provided better results in terms of plant characteristics in crops viz., Chinese Kale and leaf lettuce. Ecodrum provided a solution for increasing the yield of crop plants grown in container pots. However, further chemical analysis is required for improving soil quality and enhanced soil productivity in large-scale.

Growth temperature influences postharvest glucosinolate concentrations and hydrolysis product formation in first and second cuts of rocket salad.

Rocket salad species (Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Eruca sativa; also known as E. vesicaria) are known for their high concentrations of health-related isothiocyanates, which are derived from secondary metabolites called glucosinolates. Increases in temperature due to climate change and extreme weather event frequencies over the coming decades are likely to influence not only the growth of leafy vegetables, but also their nutritional density. It is therefore essential to determine the impacts of these in order to mitigate crop losses and nutritional decline in future. Our data show there is a strong influence of pre-harvest growth temperatures on glucosinolate biosynthesis and formation of glucosinolate hydrolysis products postharvest, and that this is genotype dependent. High growth temperature (40 °C) severely retarded germination, growth, regrowth, and survival of rocket plants. Highest glucosinolate concentrations were observed in first and second cuts at 40 °C, but did not correspond to highest isothiocyanate concentrations (observed at 30 °C, second cut). Hydrolysis product formation is proportionately not as great as glucosinolate increases at 40 °C, possibly due to inhibition of enzyme function(s) at higher temperatures. These data indicate that high growth temperatures increase glucosinolate accumulation, but growth and productivity is significantly reduced. Much greater emphasis is needed for breeding cultivars tolerant to high growth temperatures in order to maximise nutritional benefits imparted by temperature stress.

Can Trichoderma-Based Biostimulants Optimize N Use Efficiency and Stimulate Growth of Leafy Vegetables in Greenhouse Intensive Cropping Systems?

The present study addresses the effects of Trichoderma-based biostimulants and nitrogen (N) fertilization levels on agronomic performance and functional quality of two important greenhouse leafy vegetables: lettuce and rocket. A factorial analysis of the relative effects of Trichoderma-based biostimulants (Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 and Trichoderma virens strain GV41) and N fertilization levels (sub-optimal, optimal, and supra-optimal) was carried out to evaluate crop productive behavior (marketable and unmarketable yields, leaf dry matter content, and biomass production), nitrogen nutrition (N uptake, apparent N recovery, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)) as well as phytochemical qualitative components (antioxidant activity and total polyphenols). The soil plant analysis development (SPAD) index in both leafy vegetables and leaf colorimetry only in rocket were mainly affected by N fertilization levels but not by Trichoderma-based biostimulants. The contribution of native mineral N was 60 and 100 kg N ha−1 of the total uptake in lettuce and rocket, respectively, and N surpluses were observed in both crops, even under optimal fertilization conditions. Trichoderma virens GV41-based biostimulant increased lettuce marketable yield and biomass production, both under optimal and sub-optimal fertilization. In addition, the same treatment increased NUE up to 116% under recommended N fertilization, that was also associated to an increase in phenol content and antioxidant activity. Rocket showed a clear effect of the Trichoderma virens GV41 treatment, only in absence of fertilization, demonstrating an increase in marketable yield and N uptake. Thus, the inoculation of rocket with this Trichoderma biostimulant can be considered as a useful management tool in leafy vegetable cropping systems for the efficient use of residual fertilizers from previous crops, enhancing NUE within the crop rotations. Nevertheless, the application of microbial biostimulant treatments requires good monitoring of soil N fertility in order to avoid an overexploitation of soil N supplying potential.

Vegetables cultivation under protected conditions

In addition, the biotic stresses also do not allow successful production of vegetables like capsicum, cucumber, tomato, chilli, okra/bhindi, cauliflower, cabbage, leafy vegetables etc. in the fields mainly during rainy and winter season. In spite of the great importance of vegetable crops, it faces a lot of restraints like temperature stress, photostress, moisture stress and weeds growth, nutrients deficiency in the soil, excessive wind velocity and atmospheric CO2. Some possible ways to reduce green house gas emissions are suggested and some sustainable adaptation strategies are indicated. We expand our survey of the existing research to the entire production system, including greenhouse structure, energy, electricity, growing media, and fertilizers. Different protected cultivation structures having different temperature, humidity, UV radiation ranges and also having different cost involvement in construction of structure which may results the production of vegetables with distinct advantage of good quality fruits, productivity and favorable market price to the growers/farmers. These limitations can be alleviated by adopting a unique, specialized hi-technology is called as protected cultivation. Intense heat and high incidence of UV rays in dry months reduce the quality of leafy vegetables in open which otherwise very good in protected structures. Protected cultivation has great scope to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable sector even with less area. The shade net house is ideal for cultivation of vegetable during dry period in the tropical islands when extreme sunshine and heat are limiting factor to vegetable production. These structures are constructed using a UV stabilized agro-shade net (35%-70% shade) materials for creating partial shade condition inside the structure to favour the growth and development of partial shade requiring crops or to protect crop from scorching heat during hot/summer months. The partial shade effect helps in fast and better growth of leafy vegetables besides reducing the evapo-transpiration loss of water. Low cost shade net for high value leafy vegetables like coriander, palak, fenugreek and insect free brinjal crop. Consequently more pesticides are being used for protecting the crops which deteriorate the vegetable quality by the presence of residues. This also creates environmental concern as the limited soil and fresh water bodies are get contaminated. The net house can be used for year round cultivation of crops such as Capsicum, tomato, okra, cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, beans, parthenocarpic cucumber and other cucurbits with reduced incidence of insect-pest and diseases and consequent low chemical residues on the produces. The cost can be reduced drastically by the use of local wood materials like bamboo/wooden poles. Vegetable growers can substantially increase their income by protected cultivation of vegetables in off-season as the vegetables produced during their normal season generally do not fetch good returns due to large availability of these vegetable in the markets. Off-season cultivation of cucurbits under low plastic tunnels is one of the most profitable technologies under northern plains of India. Protected cultivation enables us to grow vegetables in the off-season and also to extend the vegetable growing seasons for a much longer period than is possible under open field conditions. Though certain breakthroughs in vegetable cultivation in adverse climates using protected devices have been registered, more extensive research and generation of awareness are required to tap potential of protected cultivation of vegetable crops and also increase the area under protected devices.

Emerging foliar and soil‐borne pathogens of leafy vegetable crops: a possible threat to Europe

Italy is one of the leading countries for the production and consumption of ready‐to‐eat salads. This has led to a steady increase in the area used over the last decade for the growth of leafy vegetables under intensive systems. The recent new diseases that affect lettuce, wild and cultivated rocket, lamb's lettuce, spinach and basil are reported here: Plectosphaerella cucumerina on wild rocket, endive and lamb's lettuce, Fusarium equiseti on wild and cultivated rocket and lettuce, Myrothecium verrucaria on spinach and wild rocket, Myrothecium roridum on lamb's lettuce, Allophoma tropica on lettuce and Alternaria sp. on basil and rocket are among the new foliar pathogens in Italy. Among the soil‐borne pathogens, Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium irregulare and Pythium Cluster B2a have recently been isolated in Italy on spinach and Swiss chard, lamb's lettuce and lettuce, while Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae, which causes lettuce wilt, is gradually spreading to new countries. Some of the new pathogens have been found to be transmitted by seed and typical of tropical climate, and are thus favoured by the increases in temperature linked to climate change. The globalization of markets, climate change and intensive cultivation are among the factors responsible for the proliferation and spread of some of these new pathogens that are ‘alien’ to Italian production systems.

CONSUMERS PREFERENCES FOR LEAF VEGETABLES ACCORDING TO GENDER

The study on consumer preferences on leafy vegetables was conducted on 285 persons in Skierniewice Poland. Leafy vegetables, mainly lettuce and ready-to-eat bagged salads regularly consume more than 70% of the respondents, i.e. eat at least twice a week. The most commonly purchased leaf vegetable among the studied population was Iceberg lettuce, which was consumed by 49% of women and 58% of men. Most respondents stated that they did not buy bagged salads. It seems that the reason for the limited purchases is the too high price of bagged salads in relation to the price of lettuce sold by piece. In addition to this a significant proportion of consumers are concerned about freshness of bagged salads, as the most important driver when deciding to buy a bagged salads was their fresh appearance. Due to rising consumption and increased imports, the growth of leafy vegetables has good prospects of development. It seems that with the increase of the population incomes the consumption of bagged salads will grow as it did in Western Europe and North America.

Biochar, a potential hydroponic growth substrate, enhances the nutritional status and growth of leafy vegetables

A hydroponics system developed using a nutrient film technique was used to evaluate the effectiveness of rice husk biochar (RB) alone or in combination with perlite (PL) as substrates for increasing the growth of leafy vegetables compared with that of PL. Seedlings of cabbage, dill, mallow, red lettuce, and tatsoi were grown hydroponically in PL, RB, and PL + RB (1:1 ratio of PL to RB, v/v) substrates for a 30-d under optimal environmental conditions in a greenhouse. Shoot length and fresh/dry masses of cabbage, dill, and red lettuce plants grown in RB substrate were decreased by 49% on average compared to those plants grown in PL substrate. In contrast, PL + RB substrate led to approximately 2-fold increases in shoot length, number of leaves, and fresh/dry masses of leafy vegetable plants compared with those grown in PL substrate. Foliar nutritional composition (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Fe, and Zn) and nitrogen status (SPAD index) of plants grown in PL + RB and PL substrates suggested the presence of optimal growth conditions for ensuring optimum yield with high quality. In addition, RB substrate contributed to respective increases of 1.2–3.5-fold in leaf K, Mg, Mn, and Zn contents in most vegetable plants compared with those grown in PL substrate. The RB alone or in combination with PL substrates decreased algal growth in the nutrient solutions as confirmed by scanning electron micrographs of microalgae on the RB surface. The results also indicated that use of PL + RB hydroponic substrate could be an alternative and effective technology for the better management of unwanted algal growth in nutrient solutions and high production of leafy vegetables.

Potensi dan Pemanfaatan Limbah Susu Bubuk untuk Fortifikasi Kompos pada Pertanian Sayur Organik

Composting can be use as one of the alternatives solution to managing solid waste. The purposes of this research are (1) Knowing the initial description of the potential milk powder and waste management through surveys (2) Knowing the influence of the concentration of Waste Water Treatment Process (WWTP) sludge as waste decomposers and fortification dose of milk powder. Indicators used are compost quality, yield and growth of leafy vegetables and improvement of soil fertility. This research used 2 factors and 3 replications. Factor A: WWTP sludge concentrations (0%, 10% and 20%) and Factor B: dose fortification of milk wastes powder (0%, 10% , 20% and 30%). Complete factorial designs were used as a tools in this research. The survey shows that the average distributor waste is 2,35% per month. Waste management of milk powder solid waste usually done by burn it with diesel fuel or gasoline. In the industries 68,7% of waste are damaged waste that burn in incinerator. In the quality of compost show that interaction between A and B havehighly significant effect in total of N. The result of fortified compost has met quality standards microbe well as heavy metals. The aplication of fortified compost was increase soil labile C organic. Factor B have significant effect in the width of leaves and yield of vegetable. In the soil fertility show that the interaction between A and B have significant effect in total of Nand K2O .The best combination in this research is A3B4 (20 % WWTP sludge and dosage fortification solid waste 30%dry basis).

Farming Methods Effects on the Soil Fertility and Crop Production Under a Rice-Vegetables Cropping Sequences

This study conducted a long-term field trial to evaluate the effects of three farming methods (i.e., conventional farming, organic farming, and intermediate farming) on soil fertility and plant growth under a crop rotation of vegetables, sweet corn, and rice. The nitrogen (N) uptake of crops grown with chemical fertilizers (CFs) and organic fertilizers was also compared carefully over 7 consecutive years. The results revealed that only a fraction of the nitrogen N in chicken manure compost was available to crops immediately following application. Therefore, the fresh weight production and absorption of N by amaranth, water convolvulus, and sprouting broccoli plants were relatively minimal compared to those grown with chemical N fertilizers. However, the amount of N from the chicken manure compost met the nutrient requirements of rice and sweet corn. Application of chicken manure compost increased the accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) and available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) content, which is essential for enhancing soil quality. Because of the rapid decomposition of rapeseed seed meal (RSM), most of the N in RSM was mineralized immediately following application, which induced the rapid growth of leafy vegetables and increased yields. Application of compost with chemical fertilizers not only results in yields as high as those from pure chemical fertilizer treatment, but also improves SOM accumulation and soil fertility.