INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Volume 16, No. 04, Month JULY, Year 2020, Pages 1063 - 1076

Yield and growth of pak choi and green oak vegetables grown in substrate plots and hydroponic systems with different plant spacing

Wiangsamut, B. and Koolpluksee, M.

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The yields of Pak Choi and Green Oak vegetables grown in deep flow technique hydroponic system with narrow plant spacing of 10 cm x 12 cm (HydroDFT10x12) were significantly higher than those vegetables grown in other planting systems with different plant spacings. The yield of Pak Choi grown in HydroDFT10x12 was the highest due to the highest plant density that compensated for the low fresh weight per plant, narrow canopy diameter, and low number of leaves per plant. Green Oak grown in HydroDFT10x12 had the second highest yield due to high plant density, high fresh weight per plant, highest canopy diameter, high number of leaves per plant, and tallest plant height. Yields of Green Oak grown in Sub20x25 (substrate plot with wide plant spacing of 20 cm x 25 cm) and HydroNFT20x25 (nutrient film technique hydroponic system with wide plant spacing of 20 cm x 25 cm) were lower than in other treatments caused by the lowest plant density. Pak Choi had significantly higher yield than Green Oak, as Pak Choi grown with higher plant density compensated for its lower canopy diameter, light fresh weight per plant, and lesser number of leaves per plant. Plant density was the main factor for the higher yield of Pak Choi. HydroDFT10x12 gave the significantly highest yield, which was higher than Sub20x25, Sub10x12 (substrate plot with narrow plant spacing of 10 cm x 12 cm), HydroNFT20x25, and HydroDFT20x25 (deep flow technique hydroponic system with wide plant spacing of 20 cm x 25 cm), due to the highest plant density, widest canopy diameter, tallest plant height, and high fresh weight per plant as indicated by positive values of the correlation coefficients. Therefore, the HydroDFT10x12 is the most suitable planting system for producing Pak Choi and Green Oak vegetables.

Keywords

Substrate culture, Deep flow technique, Plant spacing, Pak Choi, Green Oak

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