Optimization of Water consumption and Evaluation of Selected Performance Indicators of Greenhouse Strawberry in a Vertical Aeroponic Cultivation System
Subject Areas : Agriculture and climate
1 - Department of Agricultural Mechanisation, KeC., Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
Keywords: Nozzle diameter size, Foliar spraying, General full factorial,
Abstract :
With the increasing demand for agricultural production with high water-use efficiency, soilless cultivation systems such as aeroponics have received growing attention. In this context, optimizing the operational parameters of these systems plays a key role in enhancing productivity and resource conservation. This study was conducted to optimize a vertical aeroponic cultivation system for determining the most efficient water-use performance and selected yield indicators of greenhouse strawberries. To evaluate the systems, the effect of nutrient misting on the roots of strawberry plants was assessed using a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design, involving 9 systems with 5 replications. The first factor was the nozzle diameter of the nutrient misting system at three levels: 25 μm, 50 μm, and 75 μm, while the second factor was misting duration at 10, 15, and 20 minutes. To optimize the system for improving water-use efficiency and strawberry performance, a general full factorial block design was used. The modeling in this study was structured to identify the optimal nozzle diameter and misting duration that would maximize yield and water-use efficiency. A comparison between first- and second-order models for estimating mean yield and water-use efficiency as functions of savings rate and misting time showed that second-order models provided a better fit to the experimental data (R² > 90%). Simultaneous optimization indicated that the ideal misting rate was 212 mL/min for a duration of 16 minutes. Under optimal conditions, the average yield per plant was 1.56 kg and water-use efficiency reached 98.17 kg/m³. These findings highlight the high effectiveness of precise technical parameter adjustments in improving the productivity of soilless cultivation systems. Evaluating the system’s performance across different climates and seasons, along with smart modeling of water consumption and analysis of economic and energy aspects, could contribute to a more comprehensive assessment and support its commercialization.
1. Singh MC, Kachwaya DS, Kapil K. Soilless Cucumber Cultivation under Protective Structures in Relation to Irrigation Coupled Fertigation Management, Economic Viability and Potential Benefits-A Review. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences. 2018;7(3):2451-68.
2. Singh MC, Yousuf A, Singh JP. Greenhouse microclimate modeling under cropped conditions-A review. Research in Environment and Life Sciences. 2016; 9:1552-7.
3. Singh MC, Singh KG, Singh JP. Nutrient and Water Use Efficiency of Cucumbers Grown in Soilless Media under a Naturally Ventilated Greenhouse. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2019; 21:193-207.
4. Kratsch HA, Graves WR, Gladon RJ. Aeroponic system for control of root-zone atmosphere. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 2006; 55:70-6.
5. Ahmadi K, Ebadzadeh H, Hatami F, Hosseinpour R, Abdolshah H. Agricultural Statistics for the Year 2017. Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, Deputy for Planning and Economic Affairs, Information and Communication Technology Center; 2018. 241 p.
6. Tavasoli A, Ghanbari A, Ahmadian A. The effect of manganese and zinc nutrition on fruit yield and nutrient concentration in tomatoes in hydroponic cultivation. Science and Technology of Greenhouse Crops. 2010;1(1):6-1.
7. Barak P, Smith JD, Krueger AR, Peterson LA. Measurement of short-term nutrient uptake rates in cranberry by aeroponics. Plant, Cell & Environment. 1996;19(2):237-42.
8. Christie CB, Nichols MA. Aeroponics - a production system and research tool. South Pacific Soilless Culture Conference, Acta Horticulturae. 2004; 648:185-90.
9. Grobkinsky DK, Svensgaard J, Christensen S, Roitsch T. Plant phenomics and the need for physiological phenotyping across scales to narrow the genotype-to-phenotype knowledge gap. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2015;66(18):5429-40.
10. Hayden AL. Aeroponic and hydroponic systems for medicinal herb rhizome, and root crops. Journal of Horticultural Science. 2006; 41:16-8.
11. Hayden AL, Giacomelli GA, Yokelson T, Hoffmann JJ. Aeroponics: An alternative production system for high-value root crops. Acta Horticulturaeic. 2004;207-13.
12. Clawson J, Hoehn A, Stodieck L, Todd P, Stoner R. Re-Examining Aeroponics for Spaceflight Plant Growth. SAE Technical Paper 0148-7191; SAE International: Warrendale, PA, USA; 2000.
13. Lakhiar IA, Gao J, Syed TN, Chandio FA, Buttar NA. Modern plant cultivation technologies in agriculture under controlled environment: A review on aeroponics. Journal of Plant Interactions. 2018;13(1):338-58.
14. Lakhiar IA, Liu X, Wang G, Gao J. Experimental study of ultrasonic atomizer effects on values of EC and ph of nutrient solution. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. 2018;11(5):59-64.
15. Qiansheng LI, Xiaoqiang LI, Tang B, Mengmeng GU. Growth Responses and Root Characteristics of Lettuce Grown in Aeroponics, Hydroponics, and Substrate Culture. Horticultural Journal. 2018;4(35):9.
16. Salcedo GA, Reca J. Irrigation water consumption modelling of a soilless cucumber crop under specific greenhouse conditions in a humid tropical climate. Ciencia Rural. 2017; 47:1-9.
17. Stoner RJ, Clawson JM. A high performance, gravity insensitive, enclosed aeroponic system for food production in space. Principal Investigator, NASA SBIR NAS10-98030; 1997.
18. Taia A. Abd El-Mageed, Wael M. Semida, Ragab S. Taha, Mostafa M. Rady. Effect of summer-fall deficit irrigation on morpho-physiological, anatomical responses, fruit yield and water use efficiency of cucumber under salt affected soil. Scientia Horticulture. 2018; 237:148-55.
19. Zhang H, Chi D, Wang Q, Fang J, Fang X. Yield and quality response of cucumber to irrigation and nitrogen fertilization under subsurface drip irrigation in solar greenhouse. Agricultural Sciences in China. 2011; 10:921-30.