ITEMS FOR APPLICATION OF MACRO-ELEMENTS IN SOILLESS CULTURES

The analytical results of samples collected from the root environment of crops in substrates or in recirculating water provide only limited information for further fertiliser applications.
The reason for this is that the reserves of nutrient elements present in the root environment of such crops are very small.
The quality of the irrigation water also has a great effect on the advice which should be given for fertiliser applications.
In systems without recirculation the high risk of sampling errors constitutes an additional handicap.

For effective nutrition of crops growing in substrates or recirculating water, the first requirement is the availability of good standard nutrient solutions designed for specific crops.
These formulations should be adjusted to the quality of the irrigation water used on the nurseries.
The grower should monitor the EC and the pH in the root environment all the time.
The ion composition in the root environment should be checked from time to time.
Methods for this are discussed.

Symposium on Substrates in Horticulture other than Soils In Situ

C. Sonneveld

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1982.126.23