ISHS Acta Horticulturae 145: Symposium on the Use of Fertilizers in Protected Vegetable Production
CULTIVATION-METHOD-DEPENDENT FERTILIZING OF GREENHOUSE-GROWN VEGETABLES |
| Authors: | Th. Geissler, R. Schmidt, M. Bohme |
| Abstract:
There is an increasing application of cultivation methods in greenhouses, where the volume available to root penetration is limited to 10 l or less /containers, substrate channels and mats/. These methods require a continuous, daily supply with water and nutrients in accordance with the plants actual demand. The results presented apply primarily to tomatoes. They show that the specific consumption of water and nutrients can be reduced for plants cultivated in different substrates and that the yield potential of the plants can yet be fully exhausted, if they are irrigated by means of drip irrigation, combined with air-conditioning irrigation. The volume available to root penetration should be large enough to contain a plant's daily water demand, when the substrate's water holding capacity is used at a rate 80 percent. The water supply should be continuous so that a suction pressure of 6.66 kPa is not exceeded in the substrate. When the nutritive solutions are prepared, the nutrient content, pH, and conductivity should not fall below certain limits or exceed them in order that the nutrient demand may be satisfied at the given water consumption. The quality of the water used has to be considered, too. | |
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