• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.248-255
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• 2013

This study examined an automated irrigation technique by a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor for scheduling irrigation for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. 'Starbuck F1') cultivation aimed at avoiding effluent from an open hydroponic system with coir substrate containing different ratios of chip-to-dust (v/v) content. Specifically, the objectives were to undertake preliminary measurements of irrigation volumes, leachate volume, volumetric water content and electrical conductivity (EC) in the substrate, plant growth, fruit yield, and water use efficiency resulting from variation in chip content as an initial experiment. Commercial coir substrates containing different percentages of chips and dust (0 and 100%, 30 and 70%, 50 and 50%, or 70 and 30%), two-story coir substrates with different percentages of chips in the lower layer and dust in the upper layer (15 and 85%, 25 and 75%, or 35 and 65%), or rockwool slabs were used. The results showed that a negligible or no leachate was found for all treatments when plants were grown under a technique for scheduling non-drainage irrigation using a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor. Daily irrigation volume was affected by chip content in both commercial and two-story slabs. The highest plant growth, marketable fruit weight, and water-use efficiency were observed in the plants grown in the commercial coir slab containing 0% chips and 100% dust, indicating that the FDR sensor-auto-mated irrigation may be more useful for tomato cultivation in coir substrate containing 0% chips and 100% dust using water efficiently and minimizing or avoiding leachate and thus increasing yield and reducing pollution. Detailed experiment is necessary to closely focus on determining appropriate irrigation volume at each of irrigation as well as duration of each individual irrigation cycle depending on different physical properties of substrates using an automated irrigation system operated by the FDR sensor.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2009

Water shortages are expected to be a major impact of climate change. This study examined the growth of Chinese cabbage seedling using reclaimed wastewater and waste nutrient solution as alternative irrigation resources. Generally, the concentration of nutrients, such as $K^+$, $NH_4^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$, $Cl^-$,$NO_3^-$, $PO_4^-$ and $SO_4^{2-}$, in waste nutrient solution was higher than that in wastewater. However, Chinese cabbage seedling irrigated with wastewater was supplied a higher concentration of $Na^+$ and $Cl^-$ than waste nutrient solution. The growth of Chinese cabbage seedling irrigated with waste nutrient solution was similar or higher than those irrigated with groundwater as control, while the growth of those irrigated with wastewater was similar to those irrigated with groundwater. The total nitrogen uptake in Chinese cabbage seedling irrigated with groundwater, waste nutrient solution from organic and inorganic hydroponic cultures, and wastewater was 5.47, 10.02, 5.20, and 4.59 mg/plant, respectively. The nitrogen uptake of Chinese cabbage seedling irrigated with waste nutrient solution from organic hydroponic substrates in a 50% lower dose than recommended was 8.34 mg/plant, which is higher than that of the cabbage irrigated with groundwater. Overall, the results suggest that waste nutrient solution and wastewater can be used as alternate water resources, and can allow a reduction in the amount of fertilizer needed to raise Chinese cabbage seedling.

• 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.