Hydroponic Substrate Research Articles

The Effect of Nutritioning Interval on Automatic Drip Hydroponic System on Growth and Production of Three Varieties of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leaf vegetable that has a high level of consumer demand and commercial value and can be cultivated using a combination of hydroponic substrate and drip irrigation methods. This research aims to determine the effect of the time interval for providing nutrients on the growth and harvest results of three lettuce plant varieties. Plants were cultivated on cocopeat and husk charcoal media (ratio 1:3) and arranged using a Randomized Block Design (RAK) consisting of two treatments. The first treatment is the nutritional interval which consists of an interval of 2 hours with a discharge of 17 ml (I1), 3 hours with a discharge of 25 ml (I2), and 4 hours using a discharge of 34 ml (I3). The second treatment is the plant variety which consists of the Grand Rapids variety (V1), the Green Coral variety (V2), and the Red Coral variety (V3). The data is analyzed using analysis of variance and if the results obtained are significantly different then a DMRT test will be carried out. The research results showed that the Green Coral lettuce variety was better than the Grand Rapids and Red Coral varieties. This is shown by the results with the highest and best values for the observation variables of number of leaves, plant fresh weight, and chlorophyll content. The nutritional interval which consists of an interval of 2, 4, and 6 hours gave results that were inversely proportional to the variety treatment, that is, they were not significantly different in all observed variables. Keywords: lettuce plants, plant varieties, nutritional interval, substrate hydroponics

Photosynthetic abilities and essential oil content of hydroponic and soil <i>Thuja occidentalis</i>

Background: Thuja occidentalis is used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, like bronchial catarrh, and rheumatism. It exhibits antimicrobial properties, and many people today incorporate Thuja occidentalis leaves into herbal tea blends for their healing potential. Brewing tea involves extracting chlorophylls, carotenoids, and essential oils from the plant, which may enhance the tea's therapeutic benefits. Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the content of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, and essential oils in the leaves of Thuja occidentalis grown in Ararat Valley under hydroponic and soil conditions and compare the herbal properties of this plant depending on the growth conditions. Methods: Plants of Thuja occidentalis were grown under soil and hydroponic conditions. The hydroponic substrates used red and black slags. Hydroponic plants were nourished with the nutrition solution offered by G. Davtyan. The content of chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids were estimated spectrophotometrically in an alcohol solution of leaves. The essential oil of plant leaves was extracted by hydrodistillation. Results: In our study, the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids increased in all studied plants from May to July. The highest content of them was recorded in soil plants (chlorophyll a – 7.2-8.8 μg/ml, chlorophyll b – 2.5-3.2 μg/ml and carotenoids – 1.8-2.2 μg/ml). Plants grown in red slag showed slightly higher levels of these components compared with plants grown in black slag, especially in May. The content of essential oil was higher in hydroponic plants (0.5-0.52%), compared with the soil plants (0.3%). Conclusion: Our study showed that the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids in leaves of Thuja occidentalis changes depending on the studied month and soil plants are inferior to the hydroponic plants in essential oil content. All this supports the idea that the healing abilities and properties of Thuja occidentalis leave depend on the harvesting time and growth condition. Keywords: chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, essential oil, Ararat Valley, hydroponics

Cost‐Effective Approach for Fabrication of High‐Quality Expanded Vermiculite for Alizarin Red S Removal From Aqueous Media

AbstractVermiculite is extensively utilized for several applications, including as a hydroponic substrate, for soil conditioning, oil cleansing, and addressing trace metal pollution. In this study, the expansion of natural vermiculite was easily achieved by utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with the aid of microwave technology. The characterization of expanded vermiculite involved the use of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption isotherm (BET), and energy dissipation X‐rays (EDX). The vermiculite has been enlarged to have a structure resembling flakes, and its surface area measures 73.9 m2/g. The adsorption of Alizarin Red S onto expanded vermiculite was investigated under varying conditions, such as pH, starting concentration, adsorbent content, and duration of exposure. The enlarged vermiculite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 182.5 mg/g for Alizarin Red S. Out of the three adsorption isotherm models, both the Freundlich and Temkin models accurately describe the adsorption of Alizarin Red S onto expanded vermiculite. When studying adsorption kinetics, the second‐order adsorption kinetic model is more appropriate than the first‐order adsorption kinetic model, as indicated by an R2 value of 0.8964.

Microgreen vegetables’ production can be optimized by combining the substrate and nutrient solution in a PFAL

Microgreen vegetables are nowadays a popular crop mainly produced hydroponically in controlled environments. In soilless culture, plants are produced using inert substrates with various properties. Besides, all the macronutrients and trace elements necessary for plant growth and development are provided in the form of a nutrient solution. It is possible to achieve similar yield and product quality of microgreens by using different substrates and reducing the input of nutrients. Our aim was to test the effect of three substrates (peat, coco coir, and cannabis mat) and three nutrient solution strengths (0, 50, and 100 %; NS0, NS50, and NS100) on the growth and quality of mustard, radish, and pea grown as microgreens in a plant factory with artificial lighting. As a general rule, cannabis mat and/or NS0 led to considerably decelerated growth of all microgreens. The antioxidant content including the amount of phenolics showed opposite trends compared to the yield of each microgreen. The hydroponic substrate showed species or variety dependency, especially in the phytochemical compounds. To conclude, treatments including NS100, as well as NS50 with peat showed promising results for high yield, relatively high nutritional value, while also saving the most from the use of fertilizers during microgreen vegetable production.

Multi-season Evaluation of Substrates for Optimized Arugula and Lettuce Production in Hydroponics

Rockwool and peatmoss are commonly used substrates in the greenhouse industry due to their quality, stable pH, exceptional water retention properties and air porosity that is important for plant root development. Although rockwool is commonly used in deep water culture (DWC) hydroponic systems as the base support, there is a lack of studies comparing different types of substrates that could be used in DWC systems, especially considering the increasing market value and awareness of sustainable production in controlled environment agriculture. We identified 13 commercial substrate mixes with different compositions and conducted a series of studies in a DWC system in a greenhouse for three seasons to evaluate their effects on arugula ‘Slow Bolt’ (Eruca sativa L.) and lettuce ‘Summer Crisp’ (Lactuca sativa L.) growth, yield, and quality. The substrates tested significantly influenced the growth, yield, and quality of both arugula and lettuce. The average leaf fresh weight per plant could range from 44 to 190 g for arugula and 89 to 265 g for lettuce. The peat-based products outperformed the coir and other inorganic substrates (phenolic foam, rockwool). The substrate with 75% peat + 25% fine coir produced the greatest plant height, width, and biomass for arugula and lettuce over three growing seasons. Examining arugula and lettuce growth, the fall season produced plants with higher water and nutrient use efficiency, while plants grown during the winter had lower resource use efficiency. Further research is needed to engineer hydroponic substrates suitable for various seasons of leafy green production that results in comparable yield and quality.

Sustaining Natural Dye Plants with Post-Consumer Textile Waste

Aligned with the circular economy framework, this study aims to address pertinent research gaps regarding material and chemical properties of clothing and suitability for closed-loop applications. Primary research questions include: (1) what are the material and chemical properties of post-consumer textile waste from a sustainable fashion take-back program; (2) which natural post-consumer textile waste is most suitable to support the growth of natural dye plants in a hydroponics system; and (3) can the use of post-consumer textile waste in a hydroponics system be scaled to support a circular fashion supply chain? This study focuses on wool, cotton, linen, silk, rayon, and Tencel® lyocell as substrates to nurture the growth of purple basil, a natural dye plant. Vertical hydroponics is a farming method that uses nutrient water to grow plants in place of soil throughout the year. The system can be indoors, making resourceful use of limited space available and the water is recirculated. Standard hydroponic substrates, like peat moss and rockwool, have good porosity for oxygen transport and suitable moisture holding capacity for nutrient delivery. In this study, we compared the performance of the standard hydroponic substrates with various textiles. The impact on water quality, color release, moisture wicking, stability against degradation, and survival rate of the plants was used to evaluate suitability in the application. Wool, silk, and Tencel lyocell demonstrated good durability in the hydroponic system, like peat moss and rockwool, during the first growth cycle. During the second growth cycle, protein fibers—wool and silk—supported plant survival at a greater capacity than Tencel lyocell. Future research can confirm that wool and silk can support the growth of natural dye plants with a larger sample size. This research aligns with several circular economy objectives and provides a model for future research to support circular fashion supply chains.

ESoil: A low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth.

Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is evident both on root and shoot development and occurs during the growth period after the stimulation. The stimulated plants reduce and assimilate NO3- more efficiently than controls, a finding that may have implications on minimizing fertilizer use. However, more studies are required to provide a mechanistic understanding of the physical and biological processes involved. eSoil opens the pathway for the development of active hydroponic scaffolds that may increase crop yield in a sustainable manner.

Research in the field of diversification of product of chrysotile industry - metallurgy and production of mineral fiber

The article considers the issue of resource conservation and integrated development of deposits, involvement in the processing of such ore rocks as gabbro-diabase Bazhenov deposit, this has reduced the environmental burden and the costs of dumping and reclamation. Melting of Bazhenov gabbro-diabase makes it possible for the industry to obtain a new product ― basalt (stone) wool. It is a good heat- and sound-proof, fireproof material for the construction industry, on its basis a unique hydroponic substrate is produced with its wide application in agriculture.. Increasing the complexity of processing mineral resources is an opportunity to receive additional profit for the enterprise due to new types of products.

The effect of AB mix fertilizer concentration on the yield of Marigold (Tagetes erecta) under hydroponic condition

In hydroponic substrate cultivation, nutrients are only sourced from fertilizers; therefore, fertilizer application must pay attention to concentration. The right concentration of fertilizer, namely AB Mix, affects the quality of marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta). The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of flower AB mix fertilizer concentration and obtain the best AB mix fertilizer concentration for marigold flower yields on cultivated hydroponic substrate. This research was carried out in May–July 2022 at the screen house of the Horticulture Industry Technology Study Program. The study used Group Randomized Design (GRD), with AB mix fertilizer treatment tested at a concentration of 1000; 1100; 1200; 1300; 1400; 1500; and 1600 ppm. The data obtained were analyzed with various fingerprints and continued with the honest significant difference (HSD) test level of 5% if there was a real effect. The parameters observed are the number of flowers, the diameter of the flower, and the fresh weight of the flower per plant. The results obtained are: 1. The concentration of AB mix fertilizer has a significant influence on the number of flowers, flower diameter, and fresh weight of flowers per plant). AB mix fertilizer with a concentration of 1,200 ppm is the best concentration because it produces marigold plants with the highest number of flowers (17.67 florets), the widest flower diameter (in the first harvest it was 79.31 mm, the second harvest was 78.12 mm, and the third harvest was 78.16 mm), and the heaviest flower weight (in the first harvest it was 15.11 g, the second harvest was 14.33 g, and the third harvest was 12.67 g).

From waste to wealth: Significant potential of oil palm kernel-derived biochar as alternative substrate for production of red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) with high bioactive metabolites content in NFT hydroponic system

Improper agricultural waste management harms the environment. Certain agricultural waste materials, such as oil palm kernel wastes, can be used as soil amendments or fertilizers. This study aimed to explore their potential as an alternative hydroponic substrate. The effects of different hydroponic substrates on lettuce metabolite production, specifically biochar, have not been previously studied. The study compared the bioactive properties and metabolite profiles of red lettuce grown under various treatments: T1 (control; hydroton), T2 (perlite), T3 (palm kernel biochar), T4 (hydroton + palm kernel biochar), and T5 (perlite + palm kernel biochar). Lettuce grown with T4 exhibited the highest chlorophyll contents, while T3 resulted in the highest carotenoid, anthocyanin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents. T3 demonstrated the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing potential, while T4 exhibited the highest ABTS radical-scavenging activity. LC-MS-QTOF analysis tentatively annotated a total of 38 metabolites, with 12 compounds identified based on databases and literature search. These compounds included phenolic and non-phenolic compounds, as well as additional classes like coumarins, xanthine alkaloids, and glycosides. Red lettuce grown in T3 showed the highest number of metabolites (18), followed by T5 (15), T2 and T4 (13), and T1 (6). E-Suberenol, a potent antioxidant, displayed a strong correlation with the treatments using palm kernel biochar. This study suggests that palm kernel biochar can serve as a cost-effective, renewable, and sustainable alternative hydroponic substrate.

Nutritional and microbiological effects of vermicompost tea in hydroponic cultivation of maple peas (Pisum sativum var. arvense L.).

Hydroponics receives considerable attentions due to population expansion, soil pollution, and farmland scarcity. However, one significant problem is that its residual effluents are detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem. There is a dire need to find an organic, alternative, biodegradable substrate. Vermicompost tea (VCT) was investigated on its suitability as a hydroponic substrate to provide both nutritional and microbiological benefits. It was found VCT increased the biomass of maple peas (Pisum sativum var. arvense L.), increased stem length, raised the potassium ion content, and promoted the uptake of nitrogen by the roots. Meanwhile, the microorganisms associated with earthworm guts were detected in the maple peas root system, namely the inter-rhizosphere of maple peas, including Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Flavobacteriaceae. The presence of these microorganisms in large number indicated the ability for VCT to retain earthworm intestinal microbes via intestinal tract movement, excreting, and other vital activities. In addition, Rhizobia spp., such as Burkholderiaceae and Rhizobiaceae were also identified in VCT. They are critical for legumes as they can form root or stem nodule symbioses to produce growth hormone, vitamins, nitrogen fixation, and protection against plant stress. These findings are consistent with our chemical analysis that VCT-treated maple peas had increased nitrate and ammonium nitrogen content relative to the control in roots, stems, and leaves, hence increasing maple peas' biomass. The abundance and species of the inter-root bacterial population were found to change during the experimental period, indicating the importance of microbial balance to the growth and nutrient uptake of maple peas.

Evaluation of Sheep Wool as a Substrate for Hydroponic Cucumber Cultivation

The problem of the use and disposal of horticultural substrates is an important element of the optimization of plastic greenhouse production in terms of economic and environmental efficiency. The production of mineral substrates is associated with a high energy expenditure, which generates costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An important factor is also the transport of professional substrates over long distances. The research objective was to evaluate the possibility of using sheep wool to create horticultural substrates in the hydroponic production of cucumber. The modifier of production technology was the use of substrates of various origins. The experiment was based on the use of two substrates: one was a conventional substrate, made of mineral wool, and the other was made of greasy Gissar sheep wool, which is considered waste or a nuisance byproduct of sheep farming today. The adopted functional unit was 1 ton of commercial cucumber yield. The boundaries of the system were soil formation, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. The amount of GHG emissions was calculated in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The results of the experiment show that the use of sheep wool as a substrate in the hydroponic cultivation of cucumbers reduced yield by approximately 8%, but it allowed for a higher efficiency of water and mineral fertilizer use per crop mass unit. Within the adopted system boundary, the value of the carbon footprint in the object with the conventional substrate was 276.9 kg CO2 eq · Mg−1. The value of this parameter for the object with the sheep wool was 193.9 kg CO2 eq · Mg−1. The use of sheep wool did not increase the phytosanitary risk of the cultivated plants. An important goal for achieving sustainability, especially in food production, is to use materials that are easily recyclable and renewable, locally available, and environmentally friendly. The use of sheep wool as a substrate for soilless plastic greenhouse cultivation is a rational solution, as this material consists of 60% animal protein fibers, 10% fat, 15% moisture, 10% sheep sweat, and an average of 5% impurities. This makes it an easily recyclable, easily renewable, and environmentally friendly source of raw material for hydroponic substrates in food production, contrary to rockwool, which produces waste that is difficult to manage and a nuisance to the natural environment. In the countries of Central Asia, the sheep population is over 20 million; therefore, the potential for using sheep wool material for agricultural production is significant.

Effect of biochar as a hydroponic substrate on growth, colour and nutritional content of red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Hydroponic is a technique of growing plants in a soilless medium by using a sponge, rock wool, hydroton, coconut coir, and perlite as an alternative for crop production systems. Recently, biochar has been reported to be a potential substrate for hydroponic cultivation techniques due to its physicochemical properties which can help increase vegetable production. A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar as hydroponic substrate on the growth, colour and nutritional content of red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). This study utilized the nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system and was conducted using a randomized complete block design with five treatments, including T1 (hydroton only), T2 (perlite only), T3 (palm kernel biochar), T4 (palm kernel biochar + hydroton), and T5 (palm kernel biochar + perlite). Data analysis revealed the treatment, which consists of both palm kernel biochar and hydroton (T4) resulted in a significant increase in plant growth and yielded the highest plant height (19.86 cm), leaf width (14.16 cm), plant fresh weight (68.19 g), and dry weight (8.29 g). The leaves nutrient content (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) of red lettuce grown in palm kernel biochar and hydroton (T4) substrates suggested the presence of optimal growth conditions for ensuring optimum yield with high quality. The application of palm kernel biochar and hydroton (T4) as substrate also showed a higher lightness value (L* = 66.67). Besides, the methanolic leaf extracts from the red lettuce grown in palm kernel biochar and hydroton (T4) showed the highest bioactive metabolite content. In addition, the application of palm kernel biochar (T3) as a hydroponic substrate decreased the algal density in the nutrient solution. In conclusion, the combination of palm kernel biochar and hydroton as a substrate was observed to be the best in enhancing the growth performance, colour, and nutritional content of red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), and it is therefore recommended to be used as the growth substrate in the NFT system.

Monitoring the efficiency of using different types of water and developing a technology for obtaining a hydroponic substrate

The purpose of the study is monitoring the efficiency of using different types of water when growing seedlings of the desired quality and developing a technology for obtaining a hydroponic substrate for the production of feed additive for farm animals. We selected the optimal means of seed sterilization, found the amount of the substrate and determined the influence of various types of mineral water on the growth and germination of wheat seeds, as well as on the change in the amount of nutrients. Experimental data confirm the advisability of using mineral water for germinating grain, since it provides a good biochemical composition of seedlings.

Increasing the hydrophyte removal rate of dissolved inorganic phosphorus using a novel Fe-Mg-loaded activated carbon hydroponic substrate with adsorption-release dual functions

At present, the plant floating bed is mostly used to remediate aquaculture tail water since its obvious advantage of eco-friendly. However, there is still the problem of low phosphorus removal efficiency due to the balance between the floating bed coverage area and the aquaculture area, as well as the phosphorus content fluctuation in water. To solve this problem, a phosphorus-controlling hydroponic substrate prepared from granular activated carbon loaded with nanoiron-magnesium hydroxide (AC-Fe-Mg) was prepared, and the phosphorus adsorption and slow-release performance of AC-Fe-Mg were evaluated. Moreover, the effect of the combination of AC-Fe-Mg and I. pseudacorus L. on phosphorus purification was studied. AC-Fe-Mg exhibited superior adsorption and release ability for phosphorus without substantial interference from coexisting substances such as Cl−, NO3−, HCO3− and humic acid (HA) within the pH range of 5–9. Finally, the phosphorus removal rate reached 98.66% under the combined effect of I. pseudacorus L. and AC-Fe-Mg at the initial P concentration of 20 mg L−1. At a high P-level, phosphorus was sequestered by AC-Fe-Mg and consumed as a growth nutrient by I. pseudacorus L. At a low P-level, phosphorus was released from AC-Fe-Mg and provided to I. pseudacorus L. The regulatory ability of AC-Fe-Mg can provide plants with continuous and stable phosphorus, and maintain the nitrogen-phosphorus ratio for plant demand. Thus, the dissolved inorganic phosphorus was controlled and efficiently removed. Accordingly, the novel AC-Fe-Mg with adsorption and slow-release dual functions can be used as a hydroponic substrate of emergent plants to improve water purification.

Grocery Waste Compost as an Alternative Hydroponic Growing Medium

Modern hydroponic substrates have contributed significantly to the popularity and progress of hydroponic cultivations worldwide, nevertheless, their development, transportation, and disposal often come at a significant environmental cost. Here we investigate the feasibility of partial to total replacement of conventional organic growing media constituents, such as cocodust (C), in a 20% perlite (P) and 80% cocodust substrate (hereafter control 8C), with compost from locally sourced grocery waste (W). For this purpose, four treatment mixtures were developed (6C:2W, 4C:4W, 2C:6W, 8W), with the grocery waste-compost fraction ranging from 20 to 80%, respectively (perlite constant at 20%). The new substrates were tested on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Tanius) cultivation. During the 35-day experiment, lettuce physiology was evaluated using chlorophyll concentration [SPAD], chlorophyll fluorescence [Fv/Fm], number of leaves, and plant growth index. At harvest, the plant yield was evaluated using leaf area [cm2], leaf fresh and dry weight [g], as well as leaf firmness [g]. Results show that substrates with compost led to superior physiology and yield characteristics, with 8W inducing a significant increase in leaf area, chlorophyll concentration, dry weight, and firmness, by 11.6%, 5.4%, 19.8% and 12.8%, respectively, compared to the control treatment 8C. Results indicate that grocery waste-based compost is an excellent sustainable alternative for the soilless cultivation of lettuce. After its use in hydroponic cultivation, substrate material is safe to dispose of or be used as a soil amendment, thus contributing to a circular agro-food economy model.

The Agro-Economic Feasibility of Growing the Medicinal Plant Euphorbia peplus in a Modified Vertical Hydroponic Shipping Container

Vertical farming is considered as a potential solution to increase yield while decreasing resource use and pesticide impacts compared to conventional agriculture. However, the profitability of cultivating ordinary leafy green crops with low market prices in vertical farming is debated. We studied the agronomic feasibility and viability of growing a medicinal plant—Euphorbia peplus—for its ingenol-mebutate content in a modified shipping container farm as an alternative crop cultivation system. The impacts of three hydroponic substrates, three light intensities, three plant localizations and two surface areas on E. peplus yield and cost were tested in several scenarios. The optimization of biomass yield and area surface decreased the cultivation cost, with fresh crop cost per kg ranging from €185 to €59. Three ingenol-mebutate extraction methods were tested. The best extraction yields and cheapest method can both be attributed to ethyl acetate at 120 °C, with a yield of 43.8 mg/kg at a cost of €38 per mg. Modeling of the profitability of a pharmaceutical gel based on ingenol-mebutate showed that economic feasibility was difficult to reach, but some factors could rapidly increase the profitability of this production.

Shoot Production and Mineral Nutrients of Five Microgreens as Affected by Hydroponic Substrate Type and Post-Emergent Fertilization

As a new specialty crop with high market value, microgreens are vegetable or herb seedlings consumed at a young age, 7–21 days after germination. They are known as functional food with high concentrations of mineral nutrients and health beneficial phytochemicals. Microgreen industry lacks standardized recommendations on cultural practices including species/variety selection, substrate choice, and fertilization management. This study evaluated shoot growth and mineral nutrient concentrations in five microgreens including four Brassica and one Raphanus microgreens as affected by four hydroponic pad types and post-emergent fertilization in two experiments in January and February 2020. The five microgreens varied in their shoot height, fresh, dry shoot weights, and mineral nutrient concentrations with radish producing the highest fresh and dry shoot weights. Radish had the highest nitrogen (N) concentration and mustard had the highest phosphorus (P) concentrations when grown with three hydroponic pads except for hemp mat. Hydroponic pad type altered fresh, dry shoot weights, and mineral nutrients in tested microgreens. Microgreens in hemp mat showed the highest shoot height, fresh, dry shoot weights, and potassium (K) concentration, but the lowest N concentration in one or two experiments. One time post-emergent fertilization generally increased shoot height, fresh, dry shoot weights, and macronutrient concentrations in microgreens.

Morphophysiology of mini watermelon in hydroponic cultivation using reject brine and substrates

HIGHLIGHTS Growth and leaf area of mini watermelon in hydroponic cultivation are reduced at electrical conductivity above 4.00 dS m-1. Electrical conductivity of up to 6.90 dS m-1 does not reduce the net photosynthesis of mini watermelon in hydroponic cultivation. Coconut fiber is the best hydroponic substrate for mini watermelon.

The effects of physicochemical properties of hydroponic substrates on the uptake of macronutrients in potato shoot, root and minitubers

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important and economical vegetables. Minitubers are small pathogen-free tubers produced from in vitro plantlets after translocation to greenhouse followed by the creation of healthy and high-quality seed tubers. Hydroponic systems increase the production of these potato minitubers. This study investigates the effects of several growth media on elements uptake by potato shoot, root, and minitubers. There were significant correlations between in root, shoot, and minituber elements uptake and the properties of cultivation beds. The perlite + peat moss medium is recommended for hydroponics production of potato minitubers.