THE RESULTS OF WATER CONTENT MEASUREMENTS DURING THE CULTIVATION OF STRAWBERRIES IN ROCKWOOL

Rockwool is one of the most used and well know substrates in professional horticulture.
Rockwool/Grodan B.V. has developed a system of growing strawberries in rockwool.
The benefits of using rockwool are the consistent textural quality during the cultivation, the homogeneous water distribution, efficient draining, inert properties and a steep water retention characteristic.
For the cultivation in rockwool the EC and pH were the parameters used to control the water management.

During the last few years Rockwool/Grodan has developed a water content meter which measures the water content as a % v/v, EC in ms/cm and temperature inside the rockwool during crop cultivation.
Technical decisions concerning the watering can be made with the information from these measurements delivered through the water content meter.
Trials with vegetables have shown that controlling the water content can lead to higher yields.
In future the grower will program the computer with the figures that are required for water content and EC in the slab.
The computer will be able to regulate and control the water content and EC in the root environment in the same way as it is possible for the aerial environment.

III International Strawberry Symposium

M.A.R.C. Vergeldt

Fragaria x ananassa, strawberry, irrigation strategy, root environment, rock wool, climate computer

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.439.114