• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.322-326
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• 2012

Recently, researches related to plant factory system has been activated and production of Ssam-vegetables using artificial lighting has been increasing. In South Korea, Ssam-vegetables are very popular and the consumption is increasing every year. Because leaf vegetables cultivated under hydroponic systems are more preferable rather than those cultivated by soil culture in Korea, the plant factory system would be more effective in production of Ssam-vegetables. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to analyze the yield and vitamin C contents in red mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and pak-choi (Brassica campestris var. chinensis), which are used a lot for the Ssam-vegetables in South Korea, as influenced by different concentrations of the nutrient solution in a plant factory system. As a results, there was no significant differences in the plant height among the treatment of EC in the nutrient solution, but for red mustard plants, the number of leaves tended to decrease in the treatment with higher EC. Leaf area of pak-choi plants was significantly increased in the higher EC, while the fresh weight had a tendency to increase along with increasing EC in the nutrient solution for both crops. The photosynthetic rates did not show a distinct tendency by EC levels for red mustard plants, but for pak-choi plants, it tended to be higher at the high EC. The contents of ascorbic acid in leaves were higher with decreasing EC concentration in the nutrient solution for red mustard plants, while the content was the highest at EC $2.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ for pak-choi plants. In summary, considering the marketable yields and vitamin C at different nutrient concentrations in a plant factory, the optimal concentration for red mustard and pak-choi plants was thought to be EC $2.0{\sim}2.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2016

The measurement of total fresh weight of plants provides an essential indicator of crop growth for monitoring production. To measure fresh weight without damaging the vegetation, image-based methods have been developed, but they have limitations. In addition, the total plant fresh weight is difficult to measure directly in hydroponic cultivation systems because of the amount of nutrient solution. This study aimed to develop a real-time, precise method to measure the total fresh weight of Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Asia Heuk Romaine) with growth stage in a plant factory using a nutrient film technique. The total weight of the channel, amount of residual nutrient solution in the channel, and fresh shoot and root weights of the plants were measured every 7 days after transplanting. The initial weight of the channel during nutrient solution supply (Wi) and its weight change per second just after the nutrient solution supply stopped were also measured. When no more draining occurred, the final weight of the channel (Ws) and the amount of residual nutrient solution in the channel were measured. The time constant (${\tau}$) was calculated by considering the transient values of Wi and Ws. The relationship of Wi, Ws, ${\tau}$, and fresh weight was quantitatively analyzed. After the nutrient solution supply stopped, the change in the channel weight exponentially decreased. The nutrient solution in the channel slowly drained as the root weight in the channel increased. Large differences were observed between the actual fresh weight of the plant and the predicted value because the channel included residual nutrient solution. These differences were difficult to predict with growth stage but a model with the time constant showed the highest accuracy. The real-time fresh weight could be calculated from Wi, Ws, and ${\tau}$ with growth stage.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2021

Strawberry cultivation in Korea is grown in greenhouse, but most farms manage their water supply using a timer control method based on the experience of growers. The timer control has problems in that it is difficult to consider the weather condition, the growth stage of crops, and the moisture content of the substrate, so that the crops cannot be managed at an optimal level, and the accuracy of cultivation management are lacking. The watering methods using integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture contents are control systems that provide eco-friendly and precise water supply considering the growth conditions of crops. The purpose of this study was to compare the combined water supply control with integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture contents and timer control method in hydroponic cultivation of strawberries using coir, and to set the optimal integrated solar irradiance level for complex water supply control. The irrigation system was automatically watered when it reached 100, 150, 250 J·cm^-2 based on the external solar irradiance, and forced irrigation was performed at a substrate moisture content of less than 60% in all treatments. The amount of irrigation at once was 50 mL. The timer treatment was applied as a control. The smaller the level of integrated radiation to start watering, the greater the daily amount of irrigation. Both the fresh weight and dry weight per plant were higher in the complex irrigation control method than the timer control, and the 100 and 150 J·cm^-2 treatment had the highest fresh weight, and the 100 J·cm^-2 treatment showed a significantly higher dry weight. The yield was also significantly higher in the complex control method than in the timer, and the early yield increased as the level of integrated solar irradiance was smaller. The fresh weight of fruit was the lowest in the timer-controlled irrigation. As a result of this study, the possibility of combined control irrigation method using integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture content was confirmed for precise water supply management of strawberries in hydroponics.

• 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.