ISHS Acta Horticulturae 440: International Symposium on Plant Production in Closed Ecosystems
CONTROL OF AMOUNT AND FREQUENCY OF IRRIGATION ACCORDING TO INTEGRATED SOLAR RADIATION IN CUCUMBER SUBSTRATE CULTURE |
| Authors: | M.Y. Roh, Y.B. Lee |
| Keywords: | cucumber, irrigation, perlite, rockwool, solar radiation, substrate culture |
| Abstract:
The water consumption of the plants is determined by the energy amount induced by sunlight. Irrigation system controlled by the time clock is apt to bring the deficiency and excess of the amount of nutrient solution applied by the weather conditions in growing period of plants. Therefore, this irrigation system can make root too wet, or too dry and so results in unbalancing the plants. On the other hand, irrigation system controlled by the solar radiation can satisfy the appropriate application of nutrient solution to plants without unnecessary water and nutrients emissions in the greenhouse and decrease the contamination of groundwater. This experiment was carried out to develop the irrigation system which can control the amount and the frequency of nutrient solution applied according to solar radiation in substrate culture of cucumber plants. In semi-forcing substrate culture, each substrate shows different drainage rates when integrated solar radiation reaches 10 cal · cm-2, 20 cal · cm-2 and 30 cal · cm-2. Drainage rates are rapidly increased when plants grow in perlite that has low available water content and high drainage capacity. Drainage rates are also increased, but not like in perlite, when plants grow in rockwool and the mixture of perlite and granulated rockwool that have high water holding capacity, as solar radiation increases. Therefore, solar radiation for controlling nutrient solution applied should be 10 cal · cm-2 in perlite and 20˜30 cal. cm-2 in rockwool and the mixture. | |
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