CUCUMBER CROP RESPONSE TO HEATED NUTRIENT SOLUTION IN SOILLESS CROP

At the moment, in the world the surface of greenhouse is almost 450000 ha.
In these kinds of systems, improvements go directed to increase the yield of their productions in quality fruits and early production.
Consequently get up the heating systems to obtain greater and early productions.
Although the heating has a positive effect in the cultures, its yield not always is assured.
The influence of the radical temperature on the increase of the production must to an improvement in the efficiency in the absorption of nutrients (Cornillón and Obeid, 1993; Engels et al., 1993), and water uptake (Ho and Adams, 1995). It is deduced that the temperature of the nutrition solution in the root area is important for the development of the plants.
In this experiment, it is tried, with a simple equipment of heating of the nutrient solution to elevate the temperature in the root, simultaneously to quantify the effect in the early and total production of a cucumber crop in two different substrates and the effect on the composition of the drainage solutions, the efficiency of the use of fertilisers and water, and polluting transmissions, particular ions like nitrates and phosphates.
As conclusion, the effect of the heating of the nutrient solution is correlated of the used substrate.
Simultaneously, the heating of the dissolution contributes to an increase in the ion absorption, contributing with the diminution of the electrical conductivity in the root area.
Nevertheless the productions were not improved by the heating of the nutrient solution.

VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation

M. Urrestarazu, M.C. Salas, A. Gómez, D. Valera

Cucumis sativus L., coconut coir, root zone temperature

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.614.97