TY - JOUR
T1 - Integral Parameters for Characterizing Water, Energy, and Aeration Properties of Soilless Plant Growth Media
AU - Chamindu, Deepagoda
AU - Lopez, Jose Choc Chen
AU - Møldrup, Per
AU - de Jonge, Lis Wollesen
AU - Tuller, Markus
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Over the last decade there has been a significant shift in global agricultural practice. Because the rapid increase of human population poses unprecedented challenges to production of an adequate and economically feasible food supply for undernourished populations, soilless greenhouse production systems are regaining increased worldwide attention. The optimal control of water availability and aeration is an essential prerequisite to successfully operate plant growth systems with soilless substrates such as aggregated foamed glass, perlite, rockwool, coconut coir, or mixtures thereof. While there are considerable empirical and theoretical efforts devoted to characterize water retention and aeration substrate properties, a holistic, physically-based approach considering water retention and aeration concurrently is lacking. In this study, the previously developed concept of integral water storage and energy was expanded to dual-porosity substrates and an analog integral oxygen diffusivity parameter was introduced to simultaneously characterize aeration properties of four common soilless greenhouse growth media. Integral parameters were derived for greenhouse crops in general, as well as for tomatoes. The integral approach provided important insights for irrigation management and for potential optimization of substrate properties. Furthermore, an observed relationship between the integral parameters for water availability and oxygen diffusivity can be potentially applied for the design of advanced irrigation and management strategies to ensure stress-free growth conditions, while conserving water resources. 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
AB - Over the last decade there has been a significant shift in global agricultural practice. Because the rapid increase of human population poses unprecedented challenges to production of an adequate and economically feasible food supply for undernourished populations, soilless greenhouse production systems are regaining increased worldwide attention. The optimal control of water availability and aeration is an essential prerequisite to successfully operate plant growth systems with soilless substrates such as aggregated foamed glass, perlite, rockwool, coconut coir, or mixtures thereof. While there are considerable empirical and theoretical efforts devoted to characterize water retention and aeration substrate properties, a holistic, physically-based approach considering water retention and aeration concurrently is lacking. In this study, the previously developed concept of integral water storage and energy was expanded to dual-porosity substrates and an analog integral oxygen diffusivity parameter was introduced to simultaneously characterize aeration properties of four common soilless greenhouse growth media. Integral parameters were derived for greenhouse crops in general, as well as for tomatoes. The integral approach provided important insights for irrigation management and for potential optimization of substrate properties. Furthermore, an observed relationship between the integral parameters for water availability and oxygen diffusivity can be potentially applied for the design of advanced irrigation and management strategies to ensure stress-free growth conditions, while conserving water resources. 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KW - Soilless plant growth substrates
KW - Plant available water
KW - Substrate water characteristic
KW - Integral water storage
KW - Integral energy
KW - Integral oxygen diffusivity
KW - Soilless plant growth substrates
KW - Plant available water
KW - Substrate water characteristic
KW - Integral water storage
KW - Integral energy
KW - Integral oxygen diffusivity
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.08.031
DO - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.08.031
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0022-1694
VL - 502
SP - 120
EP - 127
JO - Journal of Hydrology
JF - Journal of Hydrology
ER -