• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2008

To develop suitable alternative substrates in hydroponics of sweet pepper, changes of water contents of substrates and electric conductivity (EC) of drainage nutrient solution, growth and fruit characteristics according to the kind of coir substrates were investigated compared with rockwool. In all coir substrates compared with rockwool during growing period, water contents were higher, EC of drainage nutrient solution except for fiber 50% were lower, and the coefficient of variation were a little, especially were so in fiber 30% of coir substrates. Plant growth in fiber 30% substrate was better than others but there was no significant difference. Photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content were best in fiber 50% substrate. Fruit weight was no significant difference, but LID ratio and shape of the fruits were good in fiber 50% substrate and rockwool as which were close to regular square. Therefore, it was estimated that mixed coir substrates with fiber $30{\sim}50%$ are enough in possibility as alternative substrate.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.292-299
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• 2022

This study was conducted to analyze physical and chemical properties of horticultural substrates and response of hydroponically grown two cultivars of 'Namcheon' and 'Somirang' perilla by four different substrates: coir (chip:dust = 5:5), perlite, granular rockwool, and commercial mixed substrate (cocopeat:peatmoss:vermiculite:perlite: zeolite = 50:25:10:10:5). There were no significant differences in EC and pH according to substrates. Container capacity was the greatest in granular rockwool, and it showed appropriate levels in mixed substrate and coir. Air space was higher in coir and perlite than the other treatments. Bulky density reached a proper standard in all substrates excepting coir. The leaf length and width of 'Namcheon' indicated the most in mixed substrate, though the value of 'Somirang'was greatest in coir substrate. The leaf weight of both cultivars was highest in mixed substrate, and relatively low in coir and perlite. The total yield of leaves was separated by two groups: higher group, which are mixed substrate and granular rockwool, and lower group, which are coir and perlite. There was a large gap by 28% between these two groups. Therefore, this study suggests that substrates with high water holding capacity such as mixed substrate or granular rockwool are most suitable for the hydroponic cultivation of perilla, which require sufficient moisture supply to the root zone.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2010

Irrigation management methods controlled by integrated solar radiation (ISR) or drainage level sensor were evaluated in rockwool or coir bag culture as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production system. Substrate water content and drainage percentage were more stable in the drainage level sensor method than in the ISR method regardless of substrate type. Total yield and marketable yield were high in the drainage level sensor method, but not between substrates in the same irrigation management method. Sugar content was affected more by the substrate type than irrigation method. The drainage level sensor method was elucidated to be better than the ISR method regardless of substrate type.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.362-371
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• 2012

Objective of this research was to secure the information on physical and chemical properties of peatmoss and coir dust. To achieve this, 6 kinds of peatmoss and 10 kinds of coir dust currently used in the country as the root medium components in plant factories were collected and analysed. The mean ${\pm}$ standard deviation (SD) of total porosity and container capacity in peatmoss and coir dust were $79.6{\pm}5.04$ and $83.6{\pm}6.18%$, and $69.9{\pm}10.17$ and $65.9{\pm}3.46%$, respectively. These indicate that peatmoss has higher water holding capacity than coir dust and the characteristics are highly varied among peatmoss. The 4 out of 5 kinds of peatmoss had lower than 10%, but coir dust had 12~26%, of air-filled porosity. The percentage of easily available water and buffering water in peatmoss and coir dust was 18~22 and 11~16% and 9~13 and 5.5~7.5%, respectively. These results indicate that precise irrigation is required when coir dust is used as the root medium. The ranges of pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were 3.46~4.17 and $0.137{\sim}0.253dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in peatmoss and 5.31~6.48 and $0.250{\sim}0.1.580dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in coir dust. However, $0.563{\pm}0.83dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in mean ${\pm}$SD of coir dust EC indicates that it is higher than that of peatmoss, and the coir dust are highly varied in EC. The cation exchange capacity of peatmoss was 3 to 4 times as high as that of coir dust. The coir dust had higher $NO_3$ and $PO_4$ and lower $NH_4$ than peatmoss. The K and Na concentrations in coir dust were extremely high indicating that these ions caused the rising in EC. The percentage of hot water and alkali extracts of peatmoss were 6.67~16.37 and 0~38%, whereas those of coir dust were 30.0~65.1 and 23.1~70.3%. These results mean that possible existence of growth inhibiting materials in coir dust.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.166-172
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• 2003

Rockwool slabs used for hydroponic cultures are expected to have potential to be reused after breakdown as a growing medium component for hydroponic culture of vegetables and cut flowers, pot plants, or plug plants. This study was conducted to test the feasibility of using particles of used rockwool slabs (PURS) mixed with woodchips for growing plug seedlings of ‘Nokkufang’ pepper. In the first experiment growth of pepper seedlings was tested in media of steam sterilized PURS mixed with chestnut woodchips (CW), which was weatherized for six months and screened through 2.8 mm or 5.6 mm sieves, at 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 28:75 or 0:100 (%, v/v). In the second experiment growth of pepper seedlings was tested in 20 different media containing steam sterilized PURS mixed with 4 mm chestnut woodchips (CW), 4 mm pinc woodchips (PW), coir, peatmoss, or perlite. In the first experiment, there were no significant growth differences as affectcd by particle size of CW, while the overall best growth was achieved il1 the control and l00% PURS. In the second experiment, seedling growth was enhanced as compared to the control in 100% PURS or PURS mixed with peatmoss, coir, or perlite. In contrast, growth was suppressed as the proportion of peatmoss or coir mixed with PURS decreased and the proportion of CW increased. Growth was better in the PURS + peatmoss than in the 100% PURS or PURS + coir, and when woodchips were mixed with coir than peatmoss.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 2022

This study was conducted to examine an alternative cultivating method that uses coir substrates in a hydroponically cultured system. Three treatment conditions were applied with one-layer substrate (10 cm height) with a coir chip and dust ratio of 5:5 (Treatment A), two-layer coir substrate (20 cm height) with a coir chip and dust ratio of 5:5 (Treatment B), one-layer coir substrate (15 cm height) with a coir chip and dust ratio of 7:3 (Treatment C). The control condition was a plastic container filled with a coir chip and dust ratio of 5:5. Various criteria were measured and compared between the treatments and the control. The yield of strawberry was smaller in the control than in the treatments. No significant difference in growth characteristic was found in the height treatments of the coir substrates. The net photosynthetic rate of the treatments was 14.68-15.76 µmol CO₂·m^-2·s^-1. This does not show a statistically significant difference. The root activity was better in treatment B and C than in treatment A and the control. The length and width of leaves were measured as 4.04-4.13 cm and 3.26-3.34 cm. These results are not statistically significant. The leaf length and width ratio was 1.27 in the control and 1.24 in the treatments. The findings show that no statistically significant benefit was found when utilizing coir substrates with different height treatments in the hydroponic culture system. However, the harvested fruit per plant weights 72.38 g in treatment A and 48.69 g in treatment C. The number of harvested fruit was least in treatment C in which a coir chip and dust ratio of 7:3 was applied. Therefore, further research is needed to examine how the chip and dust ratio in coir substrate affects growth characteristics.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 2023

Melons, a rich source of vitamins and fibers, are commonly grown in the soil. Hydroponic cultivation could improve yield and quality of melon and selection of substrate volume and the kind of substrates is important for hydroponic cultivation of melons. This study investigated the effect on melon growth according to volume of granular rockwool and substrates of coir and rockwool slab. 'Geumsegye' melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. Geumsegye) was cultivated hydroponically according to volume of granular rockwool to 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 L, and was also cultivated using coir and rockwool slabs. Logistic model was applied to estimate the growth characteristics of melons such as plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and the characteristics of fruit. The growth characteristics of melons were significantly increased at 4.0 L compared to those grown of 1.0 L volume of on granular rockwool, and the results were the highest in coir and rockwool slabs. Melons grown in rockwool slabs showed the largest fruit fresh weight, fruit length, and fruit width. During hydroponic cultivation, growth characteristics of melon appropriate at the 4.0 L volume of granular rockwool, and the highest at coir and rockwool slabs. This study provides a basis for understanding the effect of root zone environment to the growth characteristics and fruit quality of non-netted melon.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.376-387
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• 2019

Melons are mostly grown in soil, but it is susceptible to damage due to injury by continuous cropping such as Fusarium wilt and root rot. Hydroponic cultivation system can overcome the disadvantages of soil cultivation with precise nutrition management and a clean environment. When using the coir substrate, the most environmentally friendly organic substrate used for hydroponics, it is analyzed how the growth and fruit quality of the melon depends on the ratio of chips and dust and the amount of irrigation. The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data of melon hydroponics when cultivated in spring. The two types of the coir substrates used in the experiments were chip and dust ratios of 3 :7 and 5 : 5 respectively. The substrate with high dust ratios had excellent physical characteristics, such as container capacity and total porosity, and the drainage EC level showed a high value of $3.0-6.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. When the amount of irrigation is provided based on the drainage rate, the group provided the nutrient solution on the basis of 10% drainage supplied 91 L per plant, which was reduced by about 30% compared to the group with the highest water supply. In addition, the total drainage showed less than 10 L per plant with a minimum water supply and was reduced by 30 - 70% in substrate with a high dust rates. In substrate with high water supply and high dust ratio, leaf growth and fruit enlargement were good, and the soluble solids content varies greatly from cultivar to cultivar. If you provided the amount of irrigation based on 10% drainage rate, the fruit weight will be decreased, but the amount of irrigation can be reduced. Therefore, it is considered that managing the water & nutrient properly taking into account the characteristics of coir substrate and cultivar can produce melon of uniform quality using hydroponics.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2021

This experiment was conducted to find out the possibility of use of reused rockwool and comparison of growth, productivity and quality of tomatoes according to the use of rockwool and coir medium. The experiment was conducted in an automatic controlled greenhouse at Andong National University, College of Life Science, located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do.. As a result of the experiment, there was no difference in the number of leaves, plant height, and leaf area between treatments, and the crown diameter was slightly higher in rockwool medium, also there was no difference between reused rockwool and coir medium. Fruit productivity showed different responses depending on the cultivation environment, but there was no significant difference between rockwool, reused rockwool and coir medium. In addition, the quality of fruit was observed to be different according to the concentration of EC in the medium. Therefore, in tomato hydroponic cultivation, there was no difference in the type of medium in growth, productivity, fruit quality and the environmental and water management had a great effect, and it is expected that the reuse of rockwool will have a positive effect on the economic point of view.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.317-321
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of EC levels in nutrient solution on the growth of rose in coir substrate during the juvenile. Nutrient concentration were EC 0.6, 1.0, 1.4, and $1.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. In spite of high concentration of nutrient solution was supplied, EC and inorganic ions content in the extract of substrate was no difference by 22 days after planting. After that, they was rapidly increased with higher concentration of nutrient solution. Number of shoot was highest in EC $1.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ at 2nd growth cycle, 90 days after planting, after that was showed a tendency to increase with increasing nutrient concentration, but was no significant difference among treatment except EC $0.6dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. Judging by results of growth of rose and contents of inorganic ion in extracts of media, our experiment suggests that the suitable nutrient concentration is EC $1.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ until 90 days and then EC $1.4dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ until 165 days after planting that is more higher than conventional nutrient concentration for absorption by coir.