Soilless Culture Research Articles

Effects of Calcium Chloride and Lysophosphatidylethanolamine Applications on the Yield and Quality of Strawberries Grown in Soilless Culture

Duygu CAYMAZ¹, Kazım GÜNDÜZ², Sedat SERÇE³, Emine ÖZDEMİR4 ¹Ziraat Yük. Müh., Atatürk Bahçe Kültürleri Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü, Yalova; ORCID: 0000-0002-4046-3144 ²Prof. Dr., Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi, Ziraat Fakültesi, Bahçe Bitkileri Bölümü, Battalgazi, Malatya; ORCID: 0000-0002-6473-5909 ³Prof. Dr., Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi, Tarım Bilimleri ve Teknolojileri Fakültesi, Tarımsal Genetik Mühendisliği Bölümü, Niğde; ORCID: 0000-0003-4584-2028 4Prof. Dr.,Emekli Öğretim Üyesi ÖZ Ülkemizde ve Dünya’da topraksız kültürde çilek yetiştiriciliği yaygınlaşmaktadır. Topraksız kültürde bitki besin elementleri uygulamalarının optimizasyonu büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada yetişme ortamı olarak kokopit kullanılan iki katlı topraksız kültür yetiştirme sisteminde ‘Fortuna’ ve ‘Festival’ çeşitleri kullanılarak bitkilere, hasattan 15 gün önce yapraktan kalsiyum (Ca), Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) ve Ca + LPE uygulanmaya başlanmış ve yetiştiricilik döneminin sonuna kadar 15 gün aralıklarla devam edilmiştir. ‘Fortuna’ çeşidinde ilk ürünler Ocak ayının ikinci haftasında alınırken, ‘Festival’ çeşidinde ise, ilk ürünler Şubat ayının üçüncü haftasında alınmıştır. Erkenci ürün eldesinde uygulamalar arasında Ca + LPE daha iyi sonuç vermiştir. Bitki başına ve birim alana verim bakımından ‘Fortuna’ çeşidi ‘Festival’ çeşidine göre daha verimli bulunmakla birlikte, ‘Festival’ çeşidinde etkili olmuş en yüksek verim değeri LPE uygulamasından alınmıştır. En yüksek titre edilebilir asit içeriği her iki çeşitte de Ca + LPE uygulamalarından alınmıştır. Meyve eti sertliği yönünden Ca uygulamaları olumlu etkide bulunmuştur. LPE uygulamasında da kontrole göre renklenmede biraz artış görülmüştür. Sonuçlar, erkenci çilek yetiştiriciliğinde bazı çeşitlerde Ca ve LPE uygulamalarının meyve kalitesini artırmak için kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Çilek, topraksız kültür, LPE, CaCl₂, meyve kalitesi EFFECTS OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE AND Lysophosphatidylethanolamine APPLICATIONS ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRIES GROWN IN SOILLESS CULTURE ABSTRACT Strawberry culture in soilles culture is getting more popular in Turkey and the World. The optimization of the plant nutrient application is critical in this sytem. ‘Fortuna’ and ‘Festival’ strawberry cultivars were used in the two-story production system using the cocopeat as growing media where the plants were treated with calcium (Ca), Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), Ca + LPE 15 days before harvest. The first fruits were harvested in the second week of January for ‘Fortuna’ while ‘Festival’ as the first fruits were harvested in the third week of February. Among the treatments, Ca + LPE resulted in favorable results for earliness. While ‘Fortuna’ was found the higher yield than ‘Festival’ for yield per plant or yield per area the highest yield was recovered from LPE treatment for ‘Festival’. The highest acidity was recovered from Ca + LPE treatment for neither of the cultivars. For fruit firmness, Ca treatments increased the fruit firmness. LPE had some effect on color formation when compared to control. The results suggest that Ca and LPE treatments may be used to enhance fruit quality characteristics for early strawberry production. Keywords: Strawberry, soilless culture, LPE, CaCl₂, fruit quality

Potential Use of Postharvest Tomato Wastes as a Growing Media in Soilless Culture

Recycling postharvest tomato wastes will reduce the carbon footprints of greenhouse facilities. This study investigated the effects of tomato postharvest waste as a growing medium (TSW; tomato stalk waste and PTSW; pretreated tomato stalk waste) in soilless culture on tomato growth, development, yield and quality. Tomato wastes were compared with cocopeat and peat-perlite mixture media and economic analyses were made for potential use of tomato waste as a growing medium. The highest stomatal conductance (138.7 mmol m−2 s−1), average fruit weight (86.7 g), yield (3.96 kg plant−1) and soluble solids content (SSC; 4.8%) values were obtained from the cocopeat medium. PTSW, cocopeat and peat + perlite media yielded similar stomatal conductance values. The best fruit skin color values (hue; 0.54) were obtained from peat + perlite medium. The highest titratable acidity (4.9 g citric acid 100 mL−1) and vitamin C (21.7 mg 100 g−1) values were obtained from the TSW medium. PTSW (Pretreated tomato waste) had similar yield and quality traits with commercial growing media. It was concluded that PTSW was better than other growing media.

Current perspective on nutrient solution management strategies to improve the nutrient and water use efficiency in hydroponic systems

Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation technique using nutrient solutions under controlled conditions, is used for growing vegetables, high-value crops, and flowers. It produces significantly higher yields compared to conventional agriculture despite its higher energy consumption. The success of a hydroponic system relies on the composition of the nutrient solution, which contains all the essential mineral elements necessary for optimal plant growth and high yield. This review delves into the discussion of enhancing nutrient solution management strategies across different hydroponic systems. The aim of this review is to discuss various techniques for monitoring nutrient solutions in order to improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and water use efficiency (WUE). The conventional approach of monitoring the hydroponic nutrient solution using electrical conductivity measurement may not provide precise information about ion concentrations, potentially resulting in poor yields or excessive fertilizer usage. To overcome these limitations, alternative management strategies have been developed to enable more accurate monitoring and efficient management. One such strategy is the nitrogen-based approach, where nitrogen concentration becomes the primary controlled element in the nutrient solution and leads to WUE and NUE development by prolonging nutrient solution recirculation. Furthermore, various methods have been devised to improve nutrient solution strategies. These include using ion-selective electrodes to measure individual ions in the hydroponic nutrient solution, using sensors to monitor substrate moisture content, estimating water requirements, and implementing programmed nutrient addition methods. In addition to introducing different management techniques to optimize hydroponic performance, this review provides a better understanding of hydroponic systems.

Improving the growth, yield and iron concentration of strawberry using sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) under soilless culture

Required iron (Fe) for the growing plants in soilless culture could be obtained from various Fe sources such as chelates and ferrous sulfate (FeSO4). Despite the low cost of FeSO4, this source is rarely used due to the low Fe solubility at a high pH. Here, the role of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) in improving growth and iron availability in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Paros) grown in FeSO4 culture solution was reported. The plants were grown hydroponically with two Fe sources, Fe-EDTA and FeSO4 along with three levels (0, 0.2, and 0.5 mM (of H2S donor, NaHS. The results showed that vegetative growth and yield of strawberry under FeSO4 source were lower than Fe-EDTA treated plants. Using NaHS significantly improved vegetative and reproductive growth, yield, chlorophyll SPAD value, maximum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and Fe availability of strawberries under FeSO4 source. Exogenously applied NaHS reduced the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and electrolyte leakage (EL) in the leaves by enhancing enzymatic antioxidant activity (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) in FeSO4 source. Moreover, NaHS affected fruit yield under Fe-EDTA utilization and showed a significant increase in yield amount (by 29.75%) compared to control. In general, there were no significant differences between the two levels of NaHS, 0.2 and 0.5 mM. Our results indicated that H2S affects the maintenance of cell membrane integrity and subsequently iron availability by strengthening the enzymatic antioxidant system and reducing oxidative stress.

Sistem Monitoring Nutrisi dan PH Air pada Tanaman Hidroponik Berbasis Internet of Things (IoT)


 
 
 
 Hydroponics is a soilless cultivation method that relies on water and the fulfillment of plant nutritional needs. Nutrient provision is usually done manually, which can be time-consuming. To improve efficiency, an automated system using sensors and an IoT-based application can be implemented. This system utilizes a TDS sensor, pH sensor, and NodeMCU ESP32 to monitor nutrient and pH levels in water. The values are displayed on an LCD screen and sent to the application. If the nutrient content falls below 700 ppm or the pH falls below 5 or above 8, indicating a nutrient deficiency, the nutrient pump can be remotely activated through the application. The pump stops when the nutrient level reaches 1000 ppm or the pH reaches 8. The system provides TDS and pH readings, which have an average error of 3.16% and 2.87%, respectively. This automated system can be used to reading TDS and pH values to assist in providing nutrients to hydroponic plants.
 
 
 

Dynamics of Yield and Chlorophyll Content of Four Kangkung (Ipomea reptans Poir) Sequences With Soilless Cultivation System Due to Direct and Residual Effects of Vermicompost Application

The applications of organic fertilizers releasing nutrients slowly not only have a direct impact on the growing crop, but also, residual effects on the subsequent crops in the conventional crop cultivation systems. Studies on the residual effects of organic fertilizer in soilless crop cultivation are quite rare. The present study, which is a pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse, describes the dynamics of yield and chlorophyll content of kangkong as direct and residual effects of vermicompost for four consecutive plantings in soilless crop cultivation, further, compared with inorganic fertilizer treatment. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design with different levels of vermicompost rates and a control treatment using inorganic fertilizer. The vermicompost was applied only in the first crop, while, inorganic fertilizer was supplemented in each crop. Fresh weight per plant per pot increases ~35 - 54% at the second planting compared with the first planting, thereafter, gradually decreases in subsequent planting. The content of chlorophyll A was found to be relatively constant, while the chlorophyll B content was highest in the first planting and, thereafter, subsequently decreased in further planting. The higher yields were found at 400 - 500 g pot-1 vermicompost fertilizer dose, insignificantly different from the inorganic fertilizers treatment.

Is Soilless Culture a Sustainable Form of Agriculture?

A soilless culture system (SCS) is a technique used for plant production that has recently become increasingly popular [...]

Evaluation of Different Soilless Substrate on Growth and Yield of Capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. grossum)

The greenhouse experiment was carried out at the Department of Horticulture, ITM University, Gwalior (M.P) to assess the impact of different growing media, and varieties of capsicum in the soilless culture. The experiment was performed in a factorial completely randomized design consisting of three growing media viz. cocopeat (M1), vermicompost (M2), 1:1 mixture of cocopeat and vermicompost (M3) and three varieties Indrani, Mahabharath, and california wonder and replicated thrice. The results revealed that the all growth parameters expect numbers of branches were significantly (p<0.05) higher in M3. Among different varieties Indrani recorded the tallest plant height and numbers of leaves while, California wonder had greater number of branches on main stem, and leaf area than the remaining variety. However, the yield parameters viz. numbers of flowers/ plant, number of fruits/plant, locule number was higher in California wonder grown in substrate M3. In contrast the fruit length, fruit diameter, pericarp thickness, fruit weight, fruit weight/ plant were higher in mahabharath grown in substrate M3. Therefore, our Finding suggested that M3 and M1 should be used for soilless culture of capsicum in order to achieve greater growth and production characteristics respectively.

Encompassing potential preventive controls using GFSI, USDA National Organic Program, FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food and FSMA Intentional Adulteration in ready-to-eat organic leafy green salad: A case study from Thailand

This qualitative research work continues from the previous research of Surareungchai S. et al. (2021 and 2022) Simplify product safety and quality risk analysis of raw materials for conventional, soilless culture and organic salads. The previous work focused on raw materials risk assessment and risk management for conventional, soilless culture and organic salads. This current work focuses on the complete processing of ready-to-eat organic leafy green salad from receiving until delivery, to develop practical guidance of product safety, product fraud and product quality issue risk analysis and produce preventive control plans by covering overall product integrity (product safety, product quality and product authenticity (non-fraudulent product or product fraud avoidance) together with product legality) as Global Food Safety Initiative (e.g. BRCGS Food Safety, International Featured Standard for Food, Safe Quality Food and Food Safety System Certification), USDA National Organic Program, FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food and FSMA Intentional Adulteration Final Rule. The case study run in this research was a Thai volunteer ready-to-eat organic leafy green fresh cut multi-standard implementing small enterprise production scale validation and verification phase using the previous practical fruit and vegetable 4 × 4 risk matrix model, 4 × 4 fraud risk matrix model and 4 × 4 quality issue risk matrix model. The result showed that the previous risk matrix models can be used for fruit and vegetable raw materials. Some severity scores can be applied to other input materials apart from the fruit and vegetable group. Occurrence scores from the previous models were changed to be useable with other input materials and during in-processing steps, corresponding to lower score ranking scales from the risk matrix models. And preventive control plans were represented as critical control point, critical quality point, critical organic point and actionable process step by considering process, allergen, sanitation, supply chain and other controls e.g., organic product fraud or food defense preventive measures. The results show that the single format of risk assessment and preventive control plan from this work, can be helpful to entrepreneurs for multi-standard implementing for overall product integrity (product safety, product quality, and product authenticity (non-fraudulent product or product fraud avoidance) control.

Nutritional Value of Soybean under Outdoor Hydroponics and Soil Conditions of the Ararat Valley

Background: Population growth increases the demand for food all over the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, by 2050 the world population will reach 9.1 billion people, for whom food production is expected to increase by 25-70 %. That will lead to an increase in the demand for alternative farming technologies allowing us to ensure higher yields in less time. One such alternative and highly profitable plant growing technology is soilless culture or hydroponics. Climate change, improved technological capabilities, and need to increase self-sufficiency are good reasons for the introduction of soybean in Armenia.Soy, as one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein, plays an important role in the diet of people in many countries. The seed of soybeans contains 17 % oil and about 50 % protein. Because soybeans contain no starch, they are a good source of protein for diabetics.Objective: To establish the possibility and efficiency of soybean cultivation in Ararat Valley by traditional agricultural method and by the regulated hydroponic system and to investigate the nutritional value of soybean seeds.Results: The cultivation method had some influence on soybean yield and on the biosynthesis of several nutritional components. Thus, soilless culture conditions contributed to the increase in soybean yield: the weight of seeds obtained from one plant was 38.7 g while in the soil it was only 19.9 g. Soil plants were distinguished by the maximum accumulation of fat (28.9 %), while hydroponic ones by the maximum content of protein (31.5 %) and sugar (6.3 %).Conclusion: The obtained results established the effectiveness of soybean cultivation in Armenia. The regulated hydroponic method ensures obtaining about 11.6 tons ha-1 of soybean seeds, 3.7 tons ha-1 of protein and 2.6 tons ha-1 of fat. The work was supported by the Science Committee of the Republic of Armenia, in the frames of the research project N 21T-4B167.Keywords: Glycine max (L.) Merr., soilless culture, proteins, fats, sugars

Comparing the Nutritional Needs of Two Solanaceae and One Cucurbitaceae Species Grown Hydroponically under the Same Cropping Conditions.

Switching over to closed-loop soilless culture systems, thus preventing pollution of water resources by nitrates and saving water and fertilizers, requires accurate estimations of the mean nutrient-to-water uptake ratios. To contribute to this objective, three fruit vegetable species (tomato, eggplant, cucumber) were grown hydroponically in a floating system under identical cropping conditions to quantify species differences in nutrient uptake. The composition of the nutrient solution used to feed the crops was identical for all species. The total water consumption and the concentrations of most nutrients (K, Ca, Mg, N, P, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B) in the nutrient solution and the plant tissues were measured at crop establishment and at two different crop developmental stages. The obtained data were used to determine the uptake concentrations (UCs) using two mass balance models, one based on nutrient removal from the nutrient solution and a second based on nutrient recovery in the plant tissues. The experiment was conducted in the spring-summer season. The results revealed that the nutrient uptake concentrations were substantially different between species for all nutrients except for N, while there were also significant interactions between the two methods used for their estimation of some nutrients. Thus, the UCs of N, P, Ca, and some micronutrients were significantly higher when its estimation was based on the removal of nutrients from the nutrient solution compared to recovery from plant tissues, presumably because with the first method, losses due to denitrification or precipitation could not be separated from those of plant uptake. The comparison of the three greenhouse vegetables revealed a similar UC for nitrogen, while cucumber generally showed significantly lower UCs for P and for the micronutrients Fe, Zn, and Cu at both cropping stages compared to the two Solanaceae species. The obtained results can be used to precisely adjust the nutrient supply in closed-loop soilless cultivations to the plant uptake thus avoiding both depletion and accumulation of nutrients in the root environment.

Hydroponics and Synergetic Technologies: A Deep Dive into Small and Medium-Scale Applications

Hydroponics, the practice of soilless plant cultivation, has undergone significant transformation over the years, evolving from its roots in ancient civilizations to its modern, high-tech systems. This paper explores this journey, focusing on technological advancements that have not only refined the principles of hydroponics but have also democratized its accessibility. Early accounts of hydroponic-like practices can be traced back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Floating Gardens of the Aztecs, and historical records in China and Egypt. The formalization of hydroponics, however, took place in the 20th century, although the concept had been introduced much earlier by Sir Francis Bacon in 1627. Technological leaps in nutrient solutions have been pivotal; German botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop's work in 1860 set the scientific basis for soilless culture. Modern hydroponic systems such as Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Aeroponics, and Deep Water Culture (DWC) employ pumps, timers, and nutrient reservoirs for efficient cultivation. These systems have scaled hydroponics from a lab-scale practice to a commercial-scale operation, making it accessible to both hobbyist gardeners and large-scale agriculturalists. Another transformative development is in the area of hydroponic lighting. High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights offer sustainable and efficient alternatives to natural light, thus enabling year-round, indoor hydroponic farming. The automation of hydroponic systems via computer-controlled environments has drastically reduced the manual labor required, making it accessible to individuals without specialized horticultural skills. Lastly, the paper delves into synergistic technologies like smart monitoring systems, Internet of Things (IoT), and renewable energy sources that are setting new paradigms for hydroponics. Smart sensors and analytics provide real-time data for nutrient and environmental control, while IoT devices offer remote management capabilities. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power bring sustainability to hydroponic setups, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. These technologies collectively create an environment that is conducive not just for optimal plant growth, but also for operational sustainability and efficiency.

Design of Aquaponics System Based on Offshore Equipment

Offshore equipment is a large-scale engineering device set up in the open sea area of the deep and distant sea, which is an important way to expand the new area of aquaculture, oil and gas development and so on. In order to solve the problem of replenishment difficulty and wastewater discharge pollution existing in offshore equipment, this paper is based on the current situation of practical research and application of offshore equipment, through the literature and data calculation, systematic design of an aquaponics system based on offshore equipment, through the aquaponics system, through the automation of the data processing system, intelligent control, in the offshore equipment platform to achieve the soilless cultivation of vegetables, cultivation of fish fry in the tail water nitrification tank processing Recycling. The aquaponics system designed in this paper, in ecological, economic and social aspects, there is a positive role in promoting, especially for the future of offshore equipment independent operation to do the corresponding possibility of exploration, for the design and construction of supporting facilities for offshore equipment to provide advice and thinking.

Soilless culture technology to transform vegetable farming, reduce land pressure and degradation in drylands

Soilless culture technology to transform vegetable farming, reduce land pressure and degradation in drylands

Exhausted fire-extinguishing powders: A potential source of mineral nutrients for reuse and valorisation in compost enrichment for soilless cultivation

Fire-extinguishing powders (FEPs) are constituted by an inner mineral core of (NH4)H2PO4 and (NH4)2SO4 salts (>95 %, by weight) externally coated with Si-based additives, which make problematic reuse after their service life has expired (36 months). This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using the composting process as an environmentally friendly strategy to lyse the external coating and recycle this nutrient-rich solid waste for replacement of inorganic fertilization in soilless cultivation of horticultural crops. A microcosm-scale experiment with lettuce plants grown into a soil/quartz sand mixture under controlled conditions for 28 days was used to investigate plant responses (fresh and dry biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, root morphology, ash and nutrients content) to amendment with increasing dosages (equivalent at 0, 10, 20 and 30 t ha−1) of an exhausted FEPs-enriched compost. Chemical properties (pH, EC, TOC, TN) and content of soluble nutrients (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, H2PO4−, SO42−, NO3−, Cl−) released into the growing substrate were also monitored. Non-amended microcosms and non-enriched compost treatments were taken as controls. Results showed, beside the expected rise of phosphate, sulphate and ammonium ions, exhausted FEPs contributed Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ content. Whereas compost determined a dose-dependent release of K+, which was particularly useful in maintaining the K/Na ratio in a range not harmful to plant physiology. It was also found that the compost enriched with 5 % (w/w) exhausted FEPs was no phytotoxic to lettuce. On the contrary, it stimulated the plant growth, increased the photosynthetic efficiency and the shoot biomass accumulation, thus incrementing the shoot/root ratio. Moreover, it oriented the root morphology development and promoted the plant uptake of both water and solutes. To sum up, composting represents a suitable alternative to chemical treatment to recover readily available nutrients contained in exhausted FEPs and produce an enriched compost for use in soilless cultivation.

Internalization, physiological responses and molecular mechanisms of lettuce to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes: Validation of simulated soilless culture

Microplastics (MPs) exists widely in the environment, and the resulting pollution of MPs has become a global environmental problem. Plants can absorb MPs through their roots. However, studies on the mechanism of the effect of root exposure to different size MPs on vegetables are limited. Here, we use Polystyrene (PS) MPs with different particle sizes to investigate the internalization, physiological response and molecular mechanism of lettuce to MPs. MPs may accumulate in large amounts in lettuce roots and migrate to the aboveground part through the vascular bundle, while small particle size MPs (SMPs, 100 nm) have stronger translocation ability than large particle size MPs (LMPs, 500 nm). MPs can cause physiological and biochemical responses and transcriptome changes in lettuce. SMPs and LMPs resulted in reduced biomass (38.27 % and 48.22 % reduction in fresh weight); caused oxidative stress (59.33 % and 47.74 % upregulation of SOD activity in roots) and differential gene expression (605 and 907 DEGs). Signal transduction, membrane transport and alteration of synthetic and metabolic pathways may be the main causes of physiological toxicity of lettuce. Our study provides important information for understanding the behavior and fate of MPs in edible vegetables, especially the physiological toxicity of MPs to edible vegetables, in order to assess the potential threat of MPs to food safety and agricultural sustainable development.

Application of vermicompost in improving the growth, water content, and vase life of LA hybrid lily

One of the limitations of soilless cultivation is its high cost. Considering this issue, this technique is cost-effective when the obtained product is of high quality from a commercial point of view. Lilies are the world’s fourth most popular cut flowers in terms of commercial importance. It is crucial to provide the lily with a culture medium that will extend its vase life and enhance its morphological and marketable characteristics. Vermicompost (VC) improves plant growth and performance with better access to water and nutrients. This study investigated the effect of different VC levels on LA hybrid lilies’ growth parameters and vase life. LA hybrid lily bulbs were planted at 20, 35, 50, and 65% VC levels on a cocopeat and perlite bed. First, growth traits such as the number of leaves and flowers, leaf area, plant height, petals’ anthocyanin content, some plant organs’ water content, and finally, vase life were measured. It was found that only the 20% VC treatment resulted in an increase in leaf number (8.6%) and flower number (3.6%). Furthermore, only in this treatment did water absorption in cut flowers and vase life increase by 43.5% and 9.8%, respectively. This research showed that the 20% VC treatment (V1) performed better in producing compact cut flowers with freshness and longer vase life.

Sustainable Valorization of Organic Materials as Substrates for Soilless Crops in Protected Environments in the Venezuelan Andes

Agricultural production activities generate a large amount of waste, most of which is of organic origin from plant remains. These residues could easily be transformed into a resource, specifically, into a substrate for use in soilless cultivation; however, in most cases, they are not used. Therefore, a characterization of local agricultural residues was carried out to determine their use as a substrate for crop cultivation without soil in a protected environment. The selected substrates were Sphagnum peat, coir fiber, and compost, which were managed alone or in mixtures of 50/50, 75/25, or 25/75% v/v ratios. We also included a mixture of virgin mountain soil and earthworm humus (known as INIA mixture) because it is used by local growers. The results showed that the substrates based on coir fiber, peat, and mixtures of both presented suitable characteristics for horticultural crops. On the contrary, compost-based substrates had high pH values and low organic matter contents that could be improved before use. The relationship found between the evaluated parameters of each substrate allowed us to establish that variables, such as the content of organic matter and water at different tensions and particle sizes, can be utilized to make a quick selection of the substrates produced locally, which would lead to the use of waste in a way that is more consistent with sustainable agricultural production and minimal environmental impact, by being used in the production of crops in containers without soil. In addition, these results can be used as an alternative reference in localities where these residues are easily available.

Artificial neural network based on multilayer perceptron algorithm as a tool for tomato stress identification in soilless cultivation

Artificial neural network based on multilayer perceptron algorithm as a tool for tomato stress identification in soilless cultivation

Application of aquaponic microorganisms alone or in consortium as original biocontrol method of lettuce root rots in soilless culture

Application of aquaponic microorganisms alone or in consortium as original biocontrol method of lettuce root rots in soilless culture