Effect of Different Substrates and Nutrient Solutions on Growth and Productivity of Soilless Cultured Head Lettuce with using Solar Energy for Operating Fertigation System | ||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||
| Article 10, Volume 14, Issue 12, December 2023, Pages 631-639 PDF (1.24 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2024.258607.1298 | ||
| Authors | ||
| W. A. El-Saady* 1; Enas L. A. Salem2; A. H. Elmoghayar1 | ||
| 1Vegetable and Ornamental Dept., Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ., Mansoura 35516, Egypt. | ||
| 2Agric. Eng. Res. Institute (AEnRI), Agric. Res. Center (ARC), Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This investigation was carried out at Soilless Culture Unit, Agric. Faculty., Mansoura Univ., Egypt, during both consecutive winter seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, to investigate the influence of three substrate mixes; peat moss : perlite, 1:1 (PP), peat moss : vermiculite, 1:1 (PV) and peat moss : perlite : vermiculite, 1:1:1 (PPV), divers three nutrient solutions; Cooper (CO), Hoagland (HO) and Hewitt (HE) and their combinations on soilless cultured head lettuce (cv. Big Bell) productivity and quality. The obtained results clearly demonstrated that all tested attributes of lettuce as vegetative growth (plant height, foliage and leaf fresh weight/plant and leaf number and area/plant), both photosynthetic pigment concentration (chlorophylla, b and carotenoids) and (N, P and K %) of fresh and dry outer leaves, respectively, heads yield (head fresh weight, edible head fresh weight, heads yield per A-shaped unit and per fed.), edible head quality (vitamin C, TSS, acidity, diameter and compactness), and protein, carbohydrate and nitrate (NO3) content of edible head leaves dry matter were significantly influenced by all studied factors and their interactions. The best significant values for all mentioned parameters were achieved with PPV mixture and CO nutrient solution as compared with PV and HE ones. Therefore, it could be recommended that substrate cultures of head lettuce plants in A-shaped PVC pipe units containing PPV mixture and feed with CO nutrient solution through fertigation system operated by renewable, cheap and environmentally friendly solar energy are the optimum choice for achieving satisfactory growth and plant performance. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Head lettuce (cv. Big Bell) growth and productivity; soilless culture; substrates (growing media); nutrient solutions; solar energy (PV panel) | ||
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