WAYS TO SIMPLIFY WATERING AND NUTRITION IN SOILLESS CULTURES IN PROTECTED VEGETABLE CULTIVATION

Soilless cultures are defined as systems, where plants are grown in more or less artificially prepared substrates without the conventional soil of the greenhouse. Mostly the ground is covered by plastic foil. The substrates used sometimes are inert /e.g. rockwool, burned clay/ sometimes are organic materials /e.g. peat, bark/ or only specially prepared or mixed composts. All the soiltess systems first are aimed to prevent soilborne diseases second to give the plants an optimal water and nutrient supply at a reduced root volume according to the climatic conditions and the growth of the plants.

At present growers prefer soilless cultures with grow bags or rockwool slabs, as these systems are well known and the technical investigations mostly are not that high especially with cultures like cucumber-, tomato- and sweet pepperplants.

For both systems watersoluble fertilizers are used as the nutrient supply is combined with drop irrigation.

The yield of crops grown in soilless culture-systems is mostly equivalent or slightly higher than those grown in well prepared clean soils. The costs for the substrate and the full watersoluble fertilizers, however, are higher, Therefore are different methods tested to simplify the systems and/or to reduce the costs for soilless cultures.

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