• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.464-472
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• 2020

We suggest a hydroponic cultivation system combined with a plasma generator to investigate the changes in the growth and functional substance content of lettuces during the cultivation period. Lettuce seedlings of uniform size were planted in semi-DFT after seeding for 3 weeks, and the plasma-activated water was intermittently operated for 1 hour at an 8 hours cycle for 4 weeks. Lettuces grew with or without plasma-activated water with the nutrient solution in hydroponics culture systems. Among the reactive oxygen species generated during plasma-activated water treatment, brown spots and necrosis appeared in the individuals closer to the plasma generating device due to O₃, and there was no significant difference in the growth parameters. While the rutin and total phenolic content of the lettuce shoot grown in the nutrient solution were higher than that of the plasma-activated water, epicatechin contents in plasma-activated water were significantly greater than the nutrient solution. However, in the roots, all kinds of secondary metabolites measured in this work, rutin, epicatechin, quercetin, and total phenolic contents, were significantly higher in the plasma-activated water than the control. These results were indicated that the growth of lettuce was decreased due to the reactive oxygen species such as ozone in the plasma-activated water, but the secondary metabolites in the root zone increased significantly. It has needed to use this technology for the cultivation of root vegetables with the modified plasma-activated water systems to increase secondary metabolite in the roots.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2019

Recycling of drained nutrient solution in hydroponic cultivation of horticultural crops is important in the conservation of the water resources, reduction of production costs and prevention of environmental contamination. Objective of this research was to obtain the fundamental data for the development of a recirculation system of hydroponic solution in semi-forcing cultivation of 'Bonus' tomato. To achieve the objective, tomato plants were cultivated for 110 days and the contents of inorganic elements in plant, supplied and drained nutrient solution were analyzed when crop growth were in the flowering stage of 2nd to 8th fruiting nodes. The T-N content of the plants based on above-ground tissue were 4.1% at the flowering stage of 2nd fruiting nodes (just after transplanting), and gradually get lowered to 3.9% at the flowering stage of 8th fruiting nodes. The tissue P contents were also high in very early stage of growth and development and were maintained to similar contents in the flowering stage of 3rd to 7th fruiting nodes, but were lowed in 8th node stages. The tissue Ca, Mg and Na contents in early growth stages were lower than late growth stages and the contents showed tendencies to rise as plants grew. The concentration differences of supplied nutrient solution and drained solution in $NO_3-N$, P, K, Ca, and Mg were not significant until 5 weeks after transplanting, but the concentration of those elements in drained solution rose gradually and maintained higher than those in supplied solution. The concentrations of B, Fe, and Na in drained solution were slightly higher in the early stages of growth and development and were significantly higher in the mid to late stages of growth than those in supplied solution. The above results would be used as a fundamental data for the correction in the inorganic element concentrations of drained solution for semi-forcing hydroponic cultivation of tomato.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of several cooling methods such as water hose cooling, mist, fog and control on growth and microclimate, and to develop a simple nutriculture bed for production of fresh leaves of narrowhead goldenaray 'Ligularia stenocephala'. When the root-zone was cooled with 240 L/hr flow rate of $13^{\circ}C$ ground water using water hose, the temperature was lowered approximately by 2 to $3^{\circ}C$ than that of control. The growth of narrowhead goldenaray were favorable in the water hose cooling compared with the other cooling methods. Nutrient culture system having part cooling effect around plant canopy was developed. The system was composed of 15 cm diameter of water hose on side wall of beds, cooling hose, and expanded rice hull media as organic substrate. When cool water which the temperature changed in the range of 14 to $22^{\circ}C$ diurnally with 240 L/hr of flow rate through water hose, the air temperature around canopy and root-zone temperature were dropped by $0.5^{\circ}C$ and $3^{\circ}C$ compared with that of conventional styrofoam bed, respectively. These results showed that newly devised bed system using water hose was simple and economical for the production of high quality narrowhead goldenaray leaves. This system might be practically used both at summer and winter season for the cultivation of narrow head goldenaray by part cooling or heating around root-zone and plant canopy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1186-1191
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• 2006

Removal efficiency of As(III) through oxidation and adsorption in column reactors was investigated at different ratios of manganese-coated sand(MCS) and iron-coated sand(ICS) : MCS-alone, ICS-alone and both of ICS and MCS. The breakthrough of arsenic immediately occurred from a column reactor with MCS-alone. However, most of the arsenic present in the effluent was identified as As(V) due to the oxidation of As(III) by MCS. While five-times delayed breakthrough of arsenic was observed from a column reactor with ICS-alone. At a complete breakthrough of arsenic, the removed As(III) was 36.1 mg with 1 kg ICS. To find an optimum ratio of ICS and MCS in the column packed with both ICS and MCS, the removal efficiency of As(III) was investigated at three different ratios of ICS/MCS with a fixed amount of ICS. The breakthrough time of arsenic was quite similar in the different ratios ICS/MCS. However, much slower breakthrough of arsenic was observed as the ratio of ICS/MCS decreased. As the ratio of ICS/MCS decreased the concentration of As(III) in the effluent decreased and then showed below 50 ppb at an equal amount of ICS and MCS, suggesting more efficient oxidation of As(III) by greater amount of MCS. When a complete breakthrough of arsenic occurred, the removed total arsenic with an equal amount of ICS and MCS was 68.5 mg with 1 kg of filter material.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

This study aimed to determine the photosynthesis and growth characteristics of Peucedanum japonicum T. grown under aquaponics in a plant factory (AP) by comparing those grown under hydroponic cultivation system (HP). The AP system raised 30 fishes at a density of 10.6 kg·m^-3 in a 367.5 L tank, and at HP, nutrient solution was controlled with EC 1.3 dS·m^-1 and pH 6.5. The pH level ranged from 4.0 to 7.1 for the AP system and 4.0 to 7.4 for the HP system. The pH level in the AP began to decrease with an increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and lasted bellower than pH 5.5 for 15-67 DAT. It was found that ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N) continued to increase even under low pH conditions. EC was maintained at 1.3 to 1.5 dS·m^-1 in both systems. The concentration of major mineral elements in the fish tank was higher than that of the hydroponics, except for K and Mg. There was no significant difference in the photosynthesis characteristics, but the PIABS parameters were 30.4% lower in the AP compared to the HP at the 34DAT and 12.0% lower at the 74DAT. There was no significant difference in the growth characteristics, but the petiole length was 56% longer in the leaf grown under the AP system. While there was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weights of leaf and root, the leaf area ratio was 36.43% higher in the AP system. All the integrated results suggest that aquaponics is a highly-sustainable farming to safely produce food by recycling agricultural by-products, and to produce Peucedanum japonicum as much as hydroponics under a proper fish density and pH level.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2018

This study was conducted to examine the germination and growth during seedling period of Codonopsis lanceolata and Astragalus membranaceus as affected by different media. The seeds were sown in commercial medium (Tosilee), coir, rockwool, and urethane sponge. The seeds were germinated for 22 days in a closed-type plant production system, and seedlings were grown for 35 days after sowing in the venlo-type glasshouse located on Gyeongsang National University. Nutrient solution was supplied by the sub-irrigation as EC $1.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ and pH 6.5 every second day. Final germination of Codonopsis lanceolata was the significantly highest in the coir and rockwool media as 68.5% and 67.9%, respectively. Mean daily germination was also the highest in the coir and rockwool media as 4.2 and 4.1, respectively. The germination rate of Astragalus membranaceus was not significantly difference in the media types. Plant height and leaf area of Codonopsis lanceolata were the significantly highest in the rockwool medium as 11.5 cm and $11.3cm^2$, respectively. Longest root length and fresh weight of root were the greatest in the coir medium as 5.8 cm and 0.07 g, respectively. Plant height and leaf area of Astragalus membranaceus were the significantly highest in the coir medium as 14.0 cm and $16.9cm^2$, respectively, and fresh and dry weights of root were the highest in the urethane sponge medium as 0.34 g and 0.03 g, respectively. Therefore, these result suggest that the rockwool and coir media were suitable for the germination and growth during seedling period of Codonopsis lanceolata and Astraglus membranaceus.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.314-321
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• 2007

This study was conducted to select leaf vegetables suitable for cultivation in apartment verandas and simple and easy fertigation method for home gardening. In order to develop the convenient fertigation method, hydroponics, wick irrigation, and overhead irrigation methods were compared. For the wick irrigation, two types of nutrient sources were used; one was slow release fertilizers mixed with medium and the other one was nutrient solution filled in container located under pots. The growth of leafy lettuce, leaf mustard, and leaf beet was better in both of the wick irrigation methods rather than in overhead irrigation and hydroponics. The wick irrigation method is very easy, so that it is expected to bring a good result from the cultivating and managing point of view, if it brings with commercialized system along with slow release fertilizer. As a result of investigation of environment such as temperature, relative humidity, and irradiance level in apartment verandas in autumn the highest irradiance level during a day was just 48% and 35% in verandas facing south and feeing southeast, respectively, comparing to that in greenhouse. The light environment was investigated as a limiting factor for vegetable growing in verandas. Therefore, to select the vegetables showing good growth under low irradiance environment, nine leaf vegetables such as romaine lettuce, lent lettuce, head lettuce, endive, pak-choi, leaf mustard, garland chrysanthemum, leaf beet, and Chinese chive were grown under 0%, 50%, 70%, 90% shading. Among them, Chinese chive showed the best growth under low irradiance levels. Endive showed line growth reduction according to shading degree, however, even under 90% shading condition, it showed good growth. And then leafy lettuce, garland chrysanthemum, and pak-choi followed. Therefore, these results will be of help in selecting vegetables for veranda gardening with different light levels.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.284-288
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• 2005

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of supplying methods of selenium on the growth and Se uptake of hydroponically grown tomato plants. Tomato seeds (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. cv. Momotaro T-93, Daki Seed Co.) were sown in plug tray with fifty holes, and raised for sixty days. Tomato seedlings transplanted to coco fiber slabs were supplied with the nutrient solutions adjusted to EC $2.3dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ and pH $5.8\~6.2$ recommended by the Japanese Horticultural Experiment Station. Selenium forms used were inorganic $SeO_2$ (here in after referred to Se) and organic selenium chlenium with sugar fatty acid ester (here in after referred to chelated-Se). 10 ppm selenium solutions were treated to tomato plants with foliar applications, drenching, and foliar application plus drenching. Growth characteristics in terms of plant height, number of leaves, leaf area and chlorophyll content were significantly increased in the plot of foliar application ot Se, and in the plot of foliar application plus drenching of chelated-Se than other plots, respectively. Transported contents of selenium into the tomato fruits were highest as 0.302 ppm in the plot of foliar application plus drenching of chelated-Se. Also, it had tended to be higher in the plot of foliar application plus drenching than in the plots of foliar application or drenching in both of Se and chelated-Se. Foliar application and drenching of organic chelated-Se were effective to produce the functional tomato fruits.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.444-451
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• 2022

Recently, long-term cultivation is becoming more common with the increase in tomato hydroponics. In hydroponics, it is very important to supply an appropriate nutrient solution considering the nutrient and moisture requirements of crops, in terms of productivity, resource use, and environmental conservation. Since seasonal environmental changes appear severely in long-term cultivation, it is so critical to manage irrigation control considering these changes. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of irrigation volume on growth and yield in tomato long-term cultivation using coir substrate. The irrigation volume was adjusted at 4 levels (high, medium high, medium low and low) by different irrigation frequency. Irrigation scheduling (frequency) was controlled based on solar radiation which measured by radiation sensor installed outside the greenhouse and performed whenever accumulated solar radiation energy reached set value. Set value of integrated solar radiation was changed by the growing season. The results revealed that the higher irrigation volume caused the higher drainage rate, which could prevent the EC of drainage from rising excessively. As the cultivation period elapsed, the EC of the drainage increased. And the lower irrigation volume supplied, the more the increase in EC of the drainage. Plant length was shorter in the low irrigation volume treatment compared to the other treatments. But irrigation volume did not affect the number of nodes and fruit clusters. The number of fruit settings was not significantly affected by the irrigation volume in general, but high irrigation volume significantly decreased fruit setting and yield of the 12-15th cluster developed during low temperature period. Blossom-end rot occurred early with a high incidence rate in the low irrigation volume treatment group. The highest weight fruits was obtained from the high irrigation treatment group, while the medium high treatment group had the highest total yield. As a result of the experiment, it could be confirmed the effect of irrigation amount on the nutrient and moisture stabilization in the root zone and yield, in addition to the importance of proper irrigation control when cultivating tomato plants hydroponically using coir substrate. Therefore, it is necessary to continue the research on this topic, as it is judged that the precise irrigation control algorithm based on root zone-information applied to the integrated environmental control system, will contribute to the improvement of crop productivity as well as the development of hydroponics control techniques.