• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.134-142
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth characteristics of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as affected by artificial light sources and different growing media in a closed-type plant production system (CPPS). The lettuce seeds were sown in the 128-cell plug tray filled with 5 different growing media such as urethane sponge (US), rock-wool (RW), Q-plug (QP), TP-S2 (TP) and PU-7B (PU). The germination rate of lettuce seeds was examined during 12 days after sowing. On the 13 days after sowing, the lettuce seedlings were transplanted in a CPPS with temperature $25{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ and nutrient solution (EC $2.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, pH 6.5) using recirculating deep floating technique system. The light sources were set with FL (fluorescent lamps) and combined RB LEDs (red : blue = 7 : 3) with $150{\pm}10{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ PPFD and a photoperiod of 14/10 hours (light/dark). The initial germination rate of lettuce was the highest in TP. The final germination and mean daily germination were the significantly highest in RW, QP and TP. The plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, and fresh and dry weights of shoot were the greatest in QP irradiated with RB LED. The number of leaves, fresh and dry weights of root and SPAD were the greatest in QP and TP irradiated with RB LED. The root length was the longest in TP irradiated with RB LED. Therefore, these results indicate that RB LED was effective for the growth of lettuce and it was also found that the QP and TP were effective for the germination and growth of lettuce in a CPPS. In addition, we confirmed the applicability of the newly developed growing medium TP for the lettuce production in a CPPS.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

This study was conducted to examine the changes of photosynthesis, growth, chlorophyll contents and functional material contents in light intensity and EC concentration of wild baby leaf vegetable, Indian lettuce (Lactuca indica L. cv. 'Sunhyang') in DFT hydroponics. The cultivation environment was 25±1℃ of temperature and 60±5% of relative humidity in growth system. At 14 days after sowing, combination effect of light intensity (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD 100, 250, 500 µmol·m-2·s-1) and EC level (EC 0.8, 1.4, 2.0 dS·m-1) of nutrient solution was determined at the baby leaf stage. The photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and water use efficiency of Indian lettuce increased as the light intensity increased. The photosynthesis rate and water use efficiency were highest in PPFD 500-EC 1.4 and PPFD 500-EC 2.0 treatment. The chlorophyll content decreased as the light intensity increased, but chlorophyll a/b ratio increased. Leaf water content and specific leaf area decreased as light intensity increased and a negative correlation (p < 0.001) was recognized. Plant height was the longest in PPFD 100-EC 0.8 and leaf number, fresh weight and dry weight were the highest in PPFD 500-EC 2.0. Anthocyanin and total phenolic compounds were the highest in PPFD 500-EC 1.4 and 2.0 treatment, and antioxidant scavenging ability (DPPH) was high in PPFD 250 and 500 treatments. Considering the growth and functional material contents, the proper light intensity and EC level for hydroponic cultivation of Indian lettuce is PPFD 500-EC 2.0, and PPFD 100 and 250, which are low light conditions, EC 0.8 is suitable for growth.

• 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.31 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2022

Domestic facility agriculture grows rapidly, such as modernization and large-scale. And the production scale increases significantly compared to the area, accounting for about 60% of the total agricultural production. Greenhouses require energy input to create an appropriate environment for stable mass production throughout the year, but the energy load per unit area is large because of low insulation properties. Through the rooftop greenhouse, one of the types of urban agriculture, energy that is not discarded or utilized in the building can be used in the rooftop greenhouse. And the cooling and heating load of the building can be reduced through optimal greenhouse operation. Dynamic energy analysis for various environmental conditions should be preceded for efficient operation of rooftop greenhouses, and about 40% of the solar energy introduced in the greenhouse is energy exchange for crops, so it should be considered essential. A major analysis is needed for each sensible heat and latent heat load by leaf surface temperature and evapotranspiration, dominant in energy flow. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in a rooftop greenhouse located at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials to analyze the energy exchange according to the growth stage of crops. A micro-meteorological and nutrient solution environment and growth survey were conducted around the crops. Finally, a regression model of leaf temperature and evapotranspiration according to the growth stage of leafy vegetables was developed, and using this, the dynamic energy model of the rooftop greenhouse considering heat transfer between crops and the surrounding air can be analyzed.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2015

This study was conducted to develop the fertigation system with a peristaltic hose pump and brushless DC motor. The fertigation system was consisted of sensor, main controller, motor control unit, peristaltic pump, water supply pump, control panel, and filter. The peristaltic pump discharges liquid by squeezing the tube with rollers. Rollers attached to the external circumference of the rotor compresses the flexible tube. The fluid is contained within a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing. The developed fertigation system has no mixing tank but instead injects directly a concentrated nutrient solution into a water supply pipe. The revolution speed of the peristaltic pump is controlled by PWM (Pulse width modulation) method. When the revolution speed of the peristaltic pump was 300rpm, the flow rate of the 3.2, 4.8, 6.3mm diameter tube was 202, 530, 857mL/min, respectively. As increasing revolution speed, the flow rate of the peristaltic pump linearly increased. As the inner diameter of a tube larger, a slope of graph is more steep. Flow rate of three roller was more than that of four roller. Flow rate of a norprene tube with good restoring force was more than that of a pharmed tube. As EC sensor probe was installed in direct piping in comparison with bypass piping showed good performance. After starting the system, it took 16~17 seconds to stabilize EC. The maximum value of EC was 1.44~1.7dS/m at a setting value of 1.4dS/m. The developed fertigation system showed ±0.06dS/m deviation from the setting value of EC. In field test, Cucumber plants generally showed good growth. From these findings, this fertigation system can be appropriately suitable for fertigation culture for crops.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2023

Korean melon (Cucumis melo L.) is grown mostly in Northeast Asia area, and as a fruit mainly produced in Korea, the yield per unit area continues to improve, but the cultivation method is limited to soil cultivation, so it is necessary to develop hydroponic cultivation technology for scale and labor-saving is needed. As the ratio of NO₃^- increased, the plant height, the leaf length, the leaf width, and the internode length became longer and larger. On the other hand, the SPAD value decreased. The lower the ratio of NO₃^-, the faster the female flower bloom, and there was no difference in fruit maturity between treatments. There was no difference in the shape of fruit according to the ratio of NO₃^-, and the hardness was higher as the ratio of NO₃^- was lower. The total yield from March to July was KM3 5,650 kg/10a and KM1 4,439 kg/10a, 27% higher in KM3 and, in particular, 36% higher in quantity from March to May, when Korean melon prices were high season. Therefore, it was judged that it would be appropriate to supply NO₃^- suitable for hydroponic cultivation of Korean melon, which was formalized in December and produced from spring, at the level of 6.5 to 10 me·L^-1.