Quality and Yield of Lettuce in an Open-Air Rooftop Hydroponic System

In this study, the yield and growth performance of lettuce in an open-air rooftop hydroponic system were investigated. Lettuce was grown in a closed recirculating nutrient film technique (NFT) unit using a standard nutrient solution (NS). Yield, fresh weight, and nutrient content in the leaf tissue of the harvested lettuce were measured. The results were compared with the results obtained in indoor hydroponic lettuce growth with artificial lightning. Despite strong winds during the growth period, 25% of the total lettuce heads weighed twice the marketable weight; however, 25% of the total lettuce heads were below the marketable weight. A more efficient nutrient uptake was indicated by the lettuces in the rooftop system compared with the uptake in the indoor system. Foliar analysis revealed a higher content of all nutrients in the leaves of rooftop hydroponic lettuce compared with indoor hydroponic lettuce. This study suggests that hydroponic rooftop-grown lettuce can be competitive with their indoor counterparts if the rooftop hydroponic system is protected from extreme weather conditions.

Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Dua Kultivar Bayam pada Tiga Sistem Budidaya Tanaman Untuk Lahan Sempit

Pandemi COVID-19 menimbulkan ancaman krisis pangan di seluruh dunia, termasuk di Indonesia. Program budidaya sayuran di lahan sempit pekarangan menjadi upaya Pemerintah untuk mewujudkan ketahanan pangan dalam mengantisipasi ancaman krisis pangan pasca pandemi COVID-19. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui sistem budidaya hidroponik yang paling baik untuk diterapkan pada bayam Kultivar Maestro dan Mira di lahan sempit pekarangan di DKI Jakarta. Percobaan ini telah dilaksanakan pada bulan September hingga Oktober 2020 di areal pemukiman yang berlokasi di Jalan Kemanggisan Ilir X, Jakarta Barat. Penelitian menggunakan metode Rancangan Acak Kelompok yang terdiri dari dua unit percobaan masing- masing terdiri dari tiga perlakuan, yaitu sistem budidaya konvensional, hidroponik wick dan hidroponik NFT dengan enam belas ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan budidaya bayam Kultivar Maestro dan Mira pada sistem hidroponik Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) menghasilkan pertumbuhan dan hasil paling baik, ditunjukkan pada jumlah daun, diameter batang, volume akar, panjang akar, luas daun dan berat segar tanaman yang lebih baik dibandingkan sistem budidaya hidroponik wick dan konvensional.@font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536869121 1107305727 33554432 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face {font-family:"\@SimSun"; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

PERTUMBUHAN DAN PRODUKSI TANAMAN SELADA (Lactuca sativa L.) PADA SISTEM HIDROPONIK NFT DENGAN BERBAGAI KONSENTRASI PUPUK AB MIX DAN GROWMORE

One of the efforts to continuously increase lettuce production is by using hydroponic technology. Hydroponics is a way of farming without using soil media but using water or porous materials. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) including hydroponic farming methods. In this system, some of the roots of the plants are submerged in water that contains fertilizer and some are above the surface of the water with a continuous 24 hours of circulation. The research was conducted from June to November 2020. The research was carried out on the Hydroponic Roof Top of the Red Building. Plantation Cultivation. This research method used a non-factorial randomized block design (RBD), the treatment of 1100 ppm AB Mix nutrition at the age of 1-14 days, 1300 ppm from the age of 21-28 days, 1500 ppm at the age of 29 - 35 days and B2 = Fertilizer Growmore 1100 ppm at the age of 1 - 14 and 1300 ppm from the age of 21 - 28 days, 1500 ppm at the age of 29 - 35 days Each treatment consists of 20 sample plants.The results showed a significant difference in the application of AB Mix fertilizer to Growmore fertilizer from week 1 to week IV on plant height increase, number of leaves and wet weight or yield on lettuce plants.

Impact of the Hydroponic Cropping System on Growth, Yield, and Nutrition of a Greek Sweet Onion (Allium cepa L.) Landrace

Nerokremmydo of Zakynthos, a Greek landrace of sweet onion producing a large bulb, was experimentally cultivated in a glasshouse using aeroponic, floating, nutrient film technique, and aggregate systems, i.e., AER, FL, NFT, and AG, respectively. The aim of the experiment was to compare the effects of these soilless culture systems (SCSs) on plant characteristics, including fresh and dry weight, bulb geometry, water use efficiency, tissue macronutrient concentrations, and uptake concentrations (UC), i.e., uptake ratios between macronutrients and water, during the main growth, bulbing, and maturation stages, i.e., 31, 62, and 95 days after transplanting. The plants grown in FL and AG yielded 7.87 and 7.57 kg m−2, respectively, followed by those grown in AER (6.22 kg m−2), while those grown in NFT produced the lowest yield (5.20 kg m−2). The volume of nutrient solution (NS) consumed per plant averaged 16.87 L, with NFT plants recording the least consumption. The SCS affected growth rate of new roots and “root mat” density that led to corresponding nutrient uptake differences. In NFT, reduced nutrient uptake was accompanied by reduced water consumption. The SCS and growth stage strongly affected tissue N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S mineral concentrations and the respective UC. The UC of N and Κ followed a decreasing trend, while that of Mg decreased only until bulbing, and the UC of the remainder of the macronutrients increased slightly during the cropping period. The UC can be used as a sound basis to establish NS recommendations for cultivation of this sweet onion variety in closed SCSs.

Adaptive Fertigation System Using Hybrid Vision-Based Lettuce Phenotyping and Fuzzy Logic Valve Controller Towards Sustainable Aquaponics

Sustainability is a major challenge in any plant factory, particularly those involving precision agriculture. In this study, an adaptive fertigation system in a three-tier nutrient film technique aquaponic system was developed using a non-destructive vision-based lettuce phenotype (VIPHLET) model integrated with an 18-rule Mamdani fuzzy inference system for nutrient valve control. Four lettuce phenes, that is, fresh weight, chlorophylls a and b, and vitamin C concentrations as outputted by the genetic programming-based VIPHLET model were optimized for each growth stage by injecting NPK nutrients into the mixing tank, as determined based on leaf canopy signatures. This novel adaptive fertigation system resulted in higher nutrient use efficiency (99.678%) and lower chemical waste emission (14.108 mg L-1) than that by manual fertigation (92.468%, 178.88 mg L-1). Overall, it can improve agricultural malpractices in relation to sustainable agriculture.

Nutrient Solution Temperature Affects Growth and °Brix Parameters of Seventeen Lettuce Cultivars Grown in an NFT Hydroponic System

Nutrient solution temperature in a hydroponic system affects °Brix and yield of lettuce; thus, it is important to maintain the water temperature within an appropriate range. Nutrient-film technique (NFT) trials were conducted to investigate the effects of different water temperatures (18.3 °C, 21.1 °C, and ambient) on growth and °Brix of 17 cultivars from five different types (Loose leaf, Romaine, Butterhead, Salanova, and Batavian) of lettuce. The average daily water temperature for ambient treatment was recorded to be 20 to 26.5 °C. The study was conducted in a split-plot design with three replications over time. Results indicated that water temperature affected root and shoot fresh and dry weight, plant width, and °Brix for lettuce. Lettuce grown at 21.1 °C were 15% greater for shoot fresh weight than plants grown at ambient conditions. All the growth and quality parameters of lettuce were found to be affected by cultivars, with “Coastal Star” showing the best results in both growth and °Brix parameters. All the cultivars of the Romaine type showed greater growth and °Brix, while Salanova lettuce did not perform well in all treatments compared to other lettuce types. For CO2 assimilation, the interaction between water temperature and cultivars was significant, with “Parris Island” having the greatest rate at ambient water temperature. These results suggested that maintaining water temperature at 21.1 °C produced lettuce with greater growth and biomass but had 26% lower °Brix than lettuce grown at 18.3 °C.

Internet Of Things (IoT) In Water Quality Monitoring Systems And Nutrition In Hydroponic Plants

Population is growing every year. This has an impact on the reduction of agricultural land to cultivate crops. This study aims to combine a concept that aims to expand the benefits of continuously connected internet connectivity. Based on the long term, the narrowing of agricultural land will have an impact on the scarcity of hydroponic NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) is a model of cultivation by putting the roots of plants in a shallow layer of water. The water is circulated and contains nutrients according to the needs of plants. This study combines hydroponic plants with the help of Internet of Things (IoT) technology using hydroponic planting techniques. Rooting can develop in a nutrient solution, because around rooting there is a layer of nutrient solution then the system is known as NFT. Excess water reduces the amount of oxygen and dissolved nutrients. The use of a manual measuring instrument is actually time-consuming if the owner is busy. Based on this background, the author got the idea to create a system of monitoring water quality and nutrients in hydroponic plants that can be accessed through a mobile phone.

GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF HYDROPONICS: NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE

Hydroponics is a cultivation technique without soil. There are several modalities for the system and among them is the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), which consists of using channels to circulate a nutrient solution intermittently. Due to the existence of risks of soil and water contamination in metropolitan areas, hydroponics is a potential alternative to conventional production. Therefore, the present work sought to verify the current study of knowledge of the NFT hydroponic system in the international literature and the performance of the countries on it. For this, a bibliographic survey was carried out from 2010 to 2019 on the international research bases Science Direct, Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Scielo using the search terms “Hydroponics” and “Nutrient Film Technique Hydroponics”. An increase in the number of studies was observed in the last four years of the analyzed period, that is, from 2016 to 2019, thus representing an increase in interest in hydroponics, especially the NFT type. This increase may be related to the efficiency and ease of handling this model, gains in productivity and the potential that this technique has for reducing the carbon footprint. Thus, Nutrient Film Technique is of great value in urban agriculture, especially in Brazil – its greatest representative –, with the potential to grow a lot in the future, due to its numerous benefits.

Producción y calidad de dos variedades de frutilla (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) en hidroponía en Santa Cruz

El cultivo de frutillas o fresas (Fragaria x ananassa) se encuentra diseminado por el mundo y en Argentina la producción se ha incrementado en los últimos años, incluso en el Sur de Patagonia, donde debido a las condiciones climáticas adversas este cultivo debe desarrollarse bajo cubierta. La tecnología hidropónica se presenta como una alternativa para obtener incremento del rendimiento y un uso más eficiente del agua y los recursos. En el presente estudio se evaluaron dos variedades de frutilla (“Fern” y “Sweet Ann”) bajo tecnología hidropónica en Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). Se encontraron diferencias significativas en producción entre las variedades. Los rendimientos medios obtenidos fueron 85,3 y 45,9 g/planta/mes para “Sweet” y “Fern”, respectivamente. La producción total de fruta a lo largo del período (noviembre-abril) fue de 511,8 (±78) y 275,5 (±64) g/planta para “Sweet” y “Fern”, respectivamente. En cuanto a calidad, la variedad “Sweet” presentó mayores valores de peso medio del fruto (16,8 g/fruto) y pH (3,6). No hubo diferencias entre ambas en el total de sólidos solubles (9,5 %). Los resultados del presente estudio muestran que la producción de frutillas, especialmente la variedad “Sweet”, en sistema hidropónico NFT, sería una opción productiva viable para la producción intensiva en Patagonia, ya que los valores de rendimiento y calidad de fruta se encuentran entre los obtenidos para este cultivo en sistemas convencionales o son incluso superiores a los informados en la región.