INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Volume 16, No. 03, Month MAY, Year 2020, Pages 589 - 596

Growth and yield of sweet corn cultivated in soil using third reused nutrient solution

Boonnoi, N., Nuntagij, I. and Koohakan, P.

Abstract Download PDF

Nutrient solution from growing lettuce using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) was drained from the substrate culture to grow Chinese kale in Dynamic Root Floating Technque (DRFT) before the third usage for growing melon. The third re-used nutrient solution (UNS) was drained from the melon growing substrate, diluted with tap water, and adjusted the concentration to 2.0 mS/cm2, pH 5.8 before irrigation on the sweet corn field. Control plants were grown under general management (manual watering and fertilizing with 15-15-15 fertilizer). Results indicated that growth parameters including shoot height, SPAD value and fresh weight per plant using the third UNS were not significantly different from the control. Yield parameters including number of ears, average weight per ear and average weight per plant using the third UNS also showed no significant differences from the control. Water consumption of sweet corn under treatment of the third UNS and the control were 35.55 and 108.23 L/plant, respectively resulted to reduced water consumption of up to 68.07% and no fertilizer was used in the UNS treatment. Thus, the UNS method reduced both water and fertilizer consumption, while minerals in the nutrient solution were completely utilized, leading to cost reduction and environmentally friendly waste production.

Keywords

Hydroponics, Re-used nutrient solution, Sweet corn

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