Effects of Electrical Conductivity of Nutrient Solution on Growth and Flower Quality of Tulip Grown in Hydroponics System
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Nutrient concentrations in term of electrical conductivity value is one of the important factors that affected the growth and quality of tulips grown in hydroponics. The optimum concentration brought about good quality of flowers. However, the research on nutrient levels for the growth and quality of tulips in Thailand was rarely reported. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the effect of plant nutrient concentrations in the culture solution on the growth and flowering of tulip ‘Orange Juice’. Tulip bulbs with an average of 12 cm circumference were grown in a hydroponics system using double pots system under a plant factory with an average temperature of 20 ± 2 ºC, average light intensity 442 µmol m-2s-1 and 80 - 90 % RH. The experimental design was completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. Plants were supplied with five different electrical conductivity (EC) levels i.e., 0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 dS/m Plant growth, photosynthesis rate, flowers and new bulbs quality were measured. The results showed that there were not significantly different between treatments on days to flowering and stalk diameter parameters. Plants supplied with EC levels at 0, 1.0 and 1.5 dS/m, photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate were not significant. However, plants height, stalk length, total fresh weight, photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate were decreased when the plant was supplied with high EC levels at 2.0 and 2.5 dS/m but bulb fresh weight, bulb circumference and number of new bulbs per plant were not significant between treatments. Plants supplied with 0 dS/m of nutrient solution showed 66.6 % of stem topple characteristics, while plants supplied with 2.5 dS/m showed 22.2 % of flower abortion.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Albornoz, F., J.H. Lieth and J.A. González-Fuentes. 2014. Effect of different day and night nutrient solution concentrations on growth, photosynthesis, and leaf NO3- content of aeroponically grown lettuce. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 74(2): 240-245.
De Hertogh, A. 1974. Principles for forcing tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, Easter lilies and Dutch irises. Scientia Horticulturae 2(4): 313-355.
Dole, J.M. and H.F. Wilkins. 1999. Floriculture Principles and Species. 2nd ed. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey. 1048 p.
Gorbe, E. and A. Calatayud. 2010. Optimization of nutrition in soilless systems: A Review. Advances in Botanical Research 53: 193-245.
Hoagland, D.R. and D.I. Arnon. 1950. The Water-Culture Method for Growing Plants Without Soil. Circular 347. California Agricultural Experiment Station, The College of Agriculture, University of California, Berkeley. 32 p.
Hsiao, T.C. 1973. Plant responses to water stress. Annual Review of Plant Physiology 24: 519-570.
Ho, L.C. and P. Adams. 1995. Nutrient uptake and distribution in relation to crop quality. Acta Horticulturae 396: 33-44.
Klougart, A. 1980. Calcium uptake of tulips during forcing. Acta Horticulturae 109: 89-95.
Lee, K.H. and J.-K. Suh. 2005. Effects of nutrient solution composition and plant growth retardants on growth and flowering in hydroponics of cut tulip. pp. 519-523. In: International Symposium on Flower Bulbs, Niigata.
Le Nard, M. and A.A. De Hertogh. 1993. Tulipa. pp. 617-682. In: A.A. De Hertogh and M. Le Nard (eds.). The Physiology of Flower Bulbs. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Li, Y.L. and C. Stanghellini. 2001. Analysis of the effect of EC and potential transpiration on vegetative growth of tomato. Scientia Horticulturae 89(1): 9-21.
Maslanka, M. and A. Bach. 2014. Induction of bulb organogenesis in in vitro cultures of tarda tulip (Tulipa tarda Stapf.) from seed-derived explants. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant 50(6): 712-721.
Miller, W.B. 2002. A primer on hydroponic cut tulips. Greenhouse Product News 12(8): 8-12.
Khodorova, N.V. and M. Boitel-Conti. 2013. The role of temperature in the growth and flowering of geophytes. Plants 2(4): 699-711.
Nelson, P.V. and C.E. Niedziela Jr. 1998. Effects of calcium source and temperature regime on calcium deficiency during hydroponic forcing of tulip. Scientia Horticulturae 73(2-3): 137-150.
Olympios, C.M. 1999. Overview of soilless culture: Advantages, constraints and perspectives for its use in Mediterranean countries. Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes 31: 307-324.
Puripunyavanicha, V., A. Pagpianb and W. La-ongsri. 2019. First endeavour to produce Tulip bulbs in Thailand. pp. 356-362. In: Proceedings of the Burapha University International Conference 2019. Chonburi. (in Thai)
Rouphael, Y., M. Cardarelli, E. Rea and G. Colla. 2008. The influence of irrigation system and nutrient solution concentration on potted geranium production under various conditions of radiation and temperature. Scientia Horticulturae 118(4): 328-337.
Royal FloraHolland. 2017. The value of cut flowers on Royal FloraHolland (Online). Available: https://np- royalfloraholland-production.
s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/3-Financieel /Documenten/Jaarverslagen/royal-floraholland-annual-report-2017-EN.pdf (December 1, 2021)
Ruamrungsri, S. 2015. Physiology of Flowers Bulbs. Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai. 276 p. (in Thai)
Saloner, A. and N. Bernstein. 2020. Response of medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) to nitrogen supply under long photoperiod. Frontiers in Plant Science 11: 572293, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.572293.
Samarakoon, U.C., P.A. Weerasinghe and W.A.P. Weerakkody. 2006. Effect of electrical conductivity (EC) of the nutrient solution on nutrient uptake, growth and yield of leaf lettuce. Tropical Agricultural Research 18: 13-21.
Savvas, D., G. Manos, A. Kotsiras and S. Souvaliotis. 2002. Effects of silicon and nutrient-induced salinity on yield, flower quality and nutrient uptake of gerbera grown in a closed hydroponic system. Journal of Applied Botany 76: 153-158.
Sonneveld, C. and W. Voogt. 2008. Nutrient concentrations of plant tissues of greenhouse crops as affected by the EC of the external nutrient solution. Acta Horticulturae 779: 313-320.
Sruamsiri, P. 2012. Mineral Nutrient in Horticultural Crop Production. Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai. 326 p. (in Thai)
Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger. 2002. Plant Physiology, 3rd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland Massachusetts. 623 p.
Van Ieperen, W. 1996. Effects of different day and night salinity levels on vegetative growth, yield and quality of tomato. Journal of Horticultural Science 71(1): 99-111.
