Work

Bulk Electrical Conductivity and Water Use as Indicators of Root-Zone Nutrient Balance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This poster was presented at CANVAS 2026 in Portland, Oregon, November 1–4, 2026. It reports ground tests of bulk electrical conductivity (EC) and water use as indicators of root-zone nutrient status during two successive leafy-green crop cycles in the zero-discharge Utah Reusable Root Module (URRM) simulator. Bulk EC and water use were evaluated alongside root-zone solution EC, nitrate-N concentrations, and nutrient removal in harvested biomass. During the final two weeks of the second crop cycle, root-zone solution nitrate-N fell below the analytical detection limit of 0.5 mg N L⁻¹ across all leafy-green crops. Bulk EC was more closely related to solution EC than to nitrate-N concentration, highlighting the limits of bulk EC for detecting nitrate depletion. These findings inform nutrient monitoring for repeated vegetable production in reusable root modules designed for the International Space Station.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.24012450

Authors: Jones, Scott B., Garrido-Ruiz, Claudia, Gonzalez-Teruel, Juan D., Cartwright, Alexandra G., Bugbee, Bruce

Institution: Utah State University

Language: English

Topic: Innovations in Aquaponics and Hydroponics Systems

Subfield: Aquatic Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7225380678

FWCI:

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