Effect of Using Wastewater from Catfish Culture on Growth and Yield of Brassica chinensis var. chinensis Grown in Hydroponic System with Non-Circulating Nutrient Solution

Abstract

Wastewater from fish culture contains abandon plant nutrients. It might provide sufficient nutrient for plant growth. Therefore, this research was carried out to study effect of application of chemical nutrient solution “Chinese vegetables formula” mixing with wastewater from catfish culture in different proportion on chemical properties of mixed nutrient solutions and growth and yield of Pak Chai (Brassica chinensis var. chinensis) grown in different nutrient solution under hydroponic systems with non - circulating nutrient solution at faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, Maha Sarakham province during July to August in 2015. The results showed that pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Total dissolve solid (TDS) and Salinity of chemical nutrient solution “Chinese vegetables formula” during growth period were in the appropriate ranges for growth of Pak Chai during experiment by which their value were 5.82-6.44, 3.28-3.61 mS/cm, 2.32-2.76 g/L and 1.74-1.93 g/L, respectively. While, the highest growth was obtained from using mixed nutrient solution of 75% of chemical nutrient solution “Chinese vegetables formula” and 25% of wastewater from catfish culture (by volume) and from using chemical nutrient solution “Chinese vegetables formula”, by which both were not significant different between each other at 28 day after transplanting (DAT). The plant height, plant canopy and leaf number were 30.34 and 29.77 cm/plant, 29.51 and 28.67 cm/plant, and 9.78 and 8.61 leaf/plant, respectively. In addition, Pak Chai that grown in chemical nutrient solution “Chinese vegetables formula” was presented the highest yield when compare with other treatments by with fresh and dry weight of shot and fresh and dry weight of root of Pak Chai that harvested at 30 DAT was 273.1 and 5.31 g/plant and 6.52 and 0.69
g/plant, respectively.