Growth, water consumption and mineral composition of watercress under hydroponic system with brackish water

Abstract

The underground water reserves in the semi-arid region present high salinity levels. However, the scarcity of the resource compels the use of this water for several human activities, including agriculture. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of brackish water for watercress cultivation (Nasturtium officinale) in a hydroponic NFT system (laminar flow of nutrients) and effects on water consumption, growth, yield and nutrient extraction by the plant. We studied six levels of salinity (0.2; 1.2; 2.2; 3.2; 4.2 and 5.2 dS m -1 ), in a completely randomized experimental design, with four replicates. Salinity was obtained by the addition of NaCl into the local water supply, being these waters used to prepare the nutrient solution and to replace the evapotranspirated water volume. We noticed a reduction in leaf area, fresh and dry mass of shoot, K content in plant and water consumption of the crop and, increased contents of P, Na, Cl in the plants, with increasing salinity of the solution. The use of brackish water for watercress cultivation in hydroponics is possible as an alternative for producers who have availability of brackish water and restricted possibility of fresh water. A reduction in dry mass of plants was observed with increasing electrical conductivity.

Water yield and consumption of cauliflower plants grown in a hydroponic system using brackish waters and different flow rates

“…Similar results were found by Lira et al (2018), when evaluating hydroponic production of watercress using brackish waters; and by Soares et al (2010) and Alves et al (2011), when evaluating hydroponic production lettuce crop using brackish waters.…”

Precursor-Boosted Production of Metabolites in Nasturtium officinale Microshoots Grown in Plantform Bioreactors, and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Biomass Extracts

“…N. officinale belongs to leafy vegetables and is grown mostly in hydroponic farms. This species is characterized by a rapid increase in biomass; after 4–8 weeks the plants are ready for harvesting [ 2 , 3 ]. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has classified N. officinale as a safe vegetable under the group “Leaf vegetables, herbs and edible flowers” [ 4 ].…”

Salinity and flow rates of nutrient solution on cauliflower biometrics in NFT hydroponic system

“…The feasibility of using brackish waters to grow different leafy vegetables, especially in the context of hydroponic cultivation, is related to the absence of action of the matric potential, which has been widely proven by several studies (Soares et al, 2015;Cruz et al, 2018;Lira et al, 2018).…”