Articles
Adaptation of the VegSyst model for nutrient uptake prediction of a hydroponic tomato crop grown in the Mediterranean region
Article number
1425_3
Pages
17 – 24
Language
English
Abstract
Soilless farming is associated with increased productivity, followed by increased water and fertilizer use.
Although fertigation in such crops has been practiced for centuries, precision fertigation is a new approach that aims to conserve water and nutrients while improving yield and fruit quality.
The current trend in fertigation management focuses on integrating real-time information from different sources and sensors to enable algorithms to determine crop nutrient needs to aid greenhouse fertilizer scheduling protocols.
For this reason, the project PRECIMED was developed to encourage the use of new precision fertigation technologies in soilless crops.
PRECIMED project developed and validated a Standards-based Decision Support System (DSS) including the adaptation of the VegSyst model for soilless crops fertigation.
Based on weather predictions the adapted model estimates the future greenhouse climate conditions which are then used as inputs for the simulation of the crop dry matter production (DMP) and therefore, the N, K, P, and Ca uptake, which is the critical nutrient content required for plant nutrition.
Thus, an experiment was set in a hydroponic greenhouse cultivated with tomato plants where the fertigation of the plants was scheduled based on the nutrient uptake forecast provided by the adapted VegSyst model.
The main purpose of this model is to be further integrated into a decision support system to provide greenhouse farmers with a nutrient recipe based on crop needs to eliminate water and nutrient waste in agriculture.
Based on the results obtained from the present study, the fertigation of a tomato crop in the Mediterranean basin based on nutrient simulations of the model resulted in a 34.3% decrease in PO43- leaching followed by an increase in nutrient use efficiency by 27.6% without adversely affecting the fruit productivity despite the lower dose of nutrients used in the fertigation solution compared to the conventional nutrient solution applied by the local tomato growers.
Although fertigation in such crops has been practiced for centuries, precision fertigation is a new approach that aims to conserve water and nutrients while improving yield and fruit quality.
The current trend in fertigation management focuses on integrating real-time information from different sources and sensors to enable algorithms to determine crop nutrient needs to aid greenhouse fertilizer scheduling protocols.
For this reason, the project PRECIMED was developed to encourage the use of new precision fertigation technologies in soilless crops.
PRECIMED project developed and validated a Standards-based Decision Support System (DSS) including the adaptation of the VegSyst model for soilless crops fertigation.
Based on weather predictions the adapted model estimates the future greenhouse climate conditions which are then used as inputs for the simulation of the crop dry matter production (DMP) and therefore, the N, K, P, and Ca uptake, which is the critical nutrient content required for plant nutrition.
Thus, an experiment was set in a hydroponic greenhouse cultivated with tomato plants where the fertigation of the plants was scheduled based on the nutrient uptake forecast provided by the adapted VegSyst model.
The main purpose of this model is to be further integrated into a decision support system to provide greenhouse farmers with a nutrient recipe based on crop needs to eliminate water and nutrient waste in agriculture.
Based on the results obtained from the present study, the fertigation of a tomato crop in the Mediterranean basin based on nutrient simulations of the model resulted in a 34.3% decrease in PO43- leaching followed by an increase in nutrient use efficiency by 27.6% without adversely affecting the fruit productivity despite the lower dose of nutrients used in the fertigation solution compared to the conventional nutrient solution applied by the local tomato growers.
Authors
N. Katsoulas, S. Faliagka, I. Naounoulis, A. Bari
Keywords
soilless, farming, fertigation management, precision agriculture, nutrient uptake
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Working Group Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
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