Effect of Concentration and N:k Ratio in Nutrient Solution for Hydroponic Production of Cucumber

Abstract

-The N:K ratio influences the balance between vegetative and reproductive stages, because potassium plays important roles in the processes that regulate plant growth when the nitrogen availability is high. However, there is a lack of information on the N:K ratio suitable for cucumber cultivation in an NFT-hydroponic system. The objective of this study is to evaluate the different N:K ratios in fruiting nutrient solutions for cucumber production in a hydroponic system. Treatments consisted of two cucumber hybrids (Natsuno Kagayaki and Runner) and four nutrition solutions with different N:K ratios (w/w) (1:0.5, 1:1.0, 1:2.0, and 1:3.0) in the reproductive phase arranged as split plots in a randomized block design with four replications. On the 33 rd day after sowing (DAS), the SPAD index on the fourth expanded leaf from the plant apex, number of broaches, and harvests were evaluated. The aerial parts of the plants were collected on the 54 th DAS for evaluation of fresh mass, dry mass, and number of leaves per plant. The results showed that the highest concentration of K in the fruiting nutrient solution does not alter the length of the fruits but increases their diameter yield. The N:K ratios in the 1:2.0 and 1:3.0 (w/w) nutrient solutions provided greater yields in both evaluated hybrids. The hybrid Natsuno Kagayaki, however, showed the highest productivity, and it is recommended for hydroponic cultivation. No entanto, há carência de informações sobre relações N:K adequadas para o cultivo do pepino em sistema hidropônico-NFT. Objetivou-se com esse trabalho avaliar diferentes relações N:K da solução nutritiva de frutificação para produção de pepino em sistema hidropônico. Os tratamentos foram dois híbridos de pepino (Natsuno Kagayaki e Runner) e quatro soluções nutritivas com diferentes relações N:K (p/p) (1:0,5; 1:1,0; 1:2,0 e 1:3,0) na fase de reprodutiva, arranjados como parcelas subdivididas, no delineamento em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Aos 33 dias após a semeadura (DAS) avaliou-se o índice SPAD, na quarta folha expandida, a partir do ápice da planta, o número de brotações e teve inicio as colheitas. Coletou-se a parte aérea das plantas para avaliação de massa fresca, massa seca e número de folhas por planta aos 54 DAS. Os resultados demonstraram que a maior concentração de K na solução nutritiva de frutificação não altera o comprimento dos frutos, mas aumenta o diâmetro e a produtividade. As relações de N:K na solução nutritiva de 1:2,0 e 1:3,0 (p/p) proporcionaram maiores produtividades para os híbridos estudados. Entretanto, o híbrido Natsuno Kagayaki apresentou maior produtividade, sendo o mais recomendado para o cultivo hidropônico. Palavras-chave:Cucumis sativus. Híbridos. Índice SPAD. Potássio.

Yield and quality of cherry tomato fruits in hydroponic cultivation

“…These values were higher than those obtained by Silva et al (2012) in cherry tomato which were from 4.87 to 8.75 fruits per plant at saline concentrations of 0.8 to 4.0 dS m -1 . These results may be associated with the plant response to nutrient solution concentrations, in other words, the high saline concentration of the nutrient solution causes a reduction in water absorption due to the osmotic effect and may also interfere with the availability of other nutrients and, consequently, causes reduction in the growth and the development of the plants (ROCHA et al, 2010;STRASSBURGER et al, 2011;CARDOSO et al, 2017;SANTOS et al, 2017).…”

“…Furthermore, hydroponic crops make it possible to obtain better quality products when compared to conventional systems. Indoor hydroponic crops offer greater uniformity of crop/fruit, better water use efficiency, as well as the ability to control other factors during production (GENÚNCIO et al, 2006;CARDOSO et al, 2017;SANTOS et al, 2017).…”

Densidad de plantas y poda de tallos en la producción de pepino en invernadero

“…Resultados similares fueron encontrados en hojas de soya, observándose una tendencia a disminuir el índice de verdor conforme mayor era la densidad (Moreira et al, 2015). Ekinci et al (2014); Cardoso et al (2017) reportaron valores spad relativamente bajos (37.7 y 39.9) en hojas de pepino, mientras que Pôrto et al (2014); Yasir et al (2016) valores similares (40 a 52.5 y 45.3 a 52.4, respectivamente) a los obtenidos en esta investigación.…”

Effects of Hydroponics Systems on Growth, Yield and Quality of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.)

“…It is commonly thought that relatively low soil humidity during cucurbitaceae flower buds initiation favours their formation. Further growth of fruit (from the moment of setting), depends mainly on continuous water supply from soil (Saaata and Stepaniuk, 2012;Cardoso et al, 2017).…”