Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study was conducted to examine the effect of slab areas of 100 cm × 20 cm (L × W) with varying volumes on the growth and yield of strawberry in a hanging gutter hydroponic system from September 2022 to March 2023.Coir slab volumes were used as the treatment: V 1 (H 20 cm), V 2 (H 15 cm), and V 3 (H 12 cm) with chip: dust ratio = 0:10 (v/v), and V 4 (H 12 cm) with chip: dust ratio = 5:5 (v/v).Irrigation was periodically adjusted, and all treatments received the same volume of nutrient solution.The drainage ratio was the highest in V 4 and the lowest in V 2 treatment.The average drainage EC ranged from 1.4 to1.5 dS•m -1 and pH ranged from 6.6 to 6.9 for each treatment.Growth characteristics like petiole length, of V 2 and V 3 treated plants were higher than V 1 and V 4 treatments from November to February.The number of fruit and yield in V 2 and V 3 treatments were higher than V 1 and V 4 treatments in December and January.However, the total number of fruit and yield were not significant among the treatments.Moreover, the weight of fruit was the highest in V 2 and V 3 , followed by V 1 and V 4 treatments.Fruit quality parameters, including soluble solid contents, acidity, and fruit firmness, were the highest in V 2 treatments.The retained water volume was the highest in V 2 and the lowest in V 4 treatment.The water use efficiency (WUE) did not show significant variation among the treatments.Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the highest correlations with V 2 and V 3 treatments were fruit number, fruit weight, and retained water volume.Therefore, the V 2 and V 3 treated plants showed better performance in the slab hydroponics system.However, the V 4 treatment showed the lowest retained water volume, suggesting that irrigation is controlled by the chip ratio can ensure strawberry growth and yield.
Authors: MG Rabbani, Minkyung Kim, Kyeongho Kim, Rayhan Ahmed Shawon, Ki Young Choi
Institution: Kangwon National University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409307919