Research and Technology Transfer by the Agricultural Research Council to Sustain the South African Hydroponic Industry

Plooy, C.P. Du; Maboko, Martin Makgose; Heever, E. van den; Chiloane, S.

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2012.947.17

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…With South Africa's diverse climatic conditions and wide range of soil types, growing plants in open fields is unpredictable due to a wide range of challenges. These challenges include factors such as temperature, soil water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, soils contaminated with heavy metals, available nutrient supply, proper root aeration, as well as disease and pest control which can be alleviated through the use of a soilless growing media under a protective environment (Du Plooy et al, 2012).…”

Section: Droughtmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Studies On Yield And Quality Response Of Soil And Soilless Grown Tomatoes: The Case Study Of Masiphathisane Community Project And Bathurst Experimental Farm

Bozo

Mpambani

Mbenga³

et al. 2019

S Afr. Jnl. Agric. Ext.

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Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) belongs to the Solanaceae family and is grown worldwide for its edible fruits with antioxidant benefits. A study was conducted in Bathurst Experimental Farm and Masiphathisane Community Project to compare yield and quality of tomato cultivars cultivated with an open bag hydroponic (soilless) system and in-soil system respectively both under a semi-controlled environment. Three tomato cultivars under soilless system, namely Mercury, Merya and Star 9037, and one cultivar, SV4129, in-soil system were used. Marketable and unmarketable yield, total soluble solids (%Brix), as well as the pH of the tomato juice were determined. Results showed that plants in the soilless system developed faster with higher total yield compared with in-soil cultivation. Cultivars Mercury and Merya can be selected and recommended for high yields and high sugar content in %Brix respectively in soilless production. The pH of tomato juice was highest in all cultivars under soilless and the lowest was recorded in-soil production systems. The most promising cultivar with regards to yield and quality under soilless production was Mercury. Results indicate that soilless cultivation can improve yield and quality, with cultivar selection playing an important role when utilising this production system.

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Section: Droughtmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Studies On Yield And Quality Response Of Soil And Soilless Grown Tomatoes: The Case Study Of Masiphathisane Community Project And Bathurst Experimental Farm

Bozo

Mpambani

Mbenga³

et al. 2019

S Afr. Jnl. Agric. Ext.

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“…Growing vegetables using soil has a range of challenges, such as variable temperatures, moisture holding capacity, available nutrient supply, proper root aeration, as well as disease and pest infestation (Maboko & Du Plooy, 2014). Soilless production under protected conditions alleviates some of these problems, while giving the grower better control over plant growth and development (Du Plooy et al, 2012).…”

Section: Scientific Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yield of determinate tomato cultivars grown in a closed hydroponic system as affected by plant spacing

Maboko¹,

Plooy²,

Chiloane³

2017

Hortic. Bras.

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“…Some of the challenges are temperature fluctuations, the water holding capacity, the cation exchange capacity of the soil, contamination of soils with heavy metals, nutrient supply disorder, soil-borne diseases, and pests. These challenges are reduced in soilless media with better control of growth factors, resulting in uniform plant growth [2]. Moreover, increasing concerns about the environmental effects of the overconsumption of utilized materials such as peat have driven plant producers to recognize and survey more sustainable materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Composted Chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.) Sawdust Mixtures as Growth Medium for Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

et al. 2022

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Sawdust as a soilless growth substrate for plants is becoming popular in greenhouse production. However, fresh sawdust often requires time for decomposition before it is ready for use as a growth substrate. We studied whether amendments of banana peels (as a source of potassium), eggshells (as a source of calcium), and urea (as a source of nitrogen) in non-composted fresh chinaberry (Melia azedarach) sawdust could enhance its potential as a growth medium. In two pot experiments, the growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) was evaluated using mixtures of non-composted M. azedarach sawdust. The treatments were: (T1) 100% soil (control) (vol/vol); (T2) 100% M. azedarach sawdust (vol/vol); (T3) 80% M. azedarach sawdust +20% banana peel (vol/vol); (T4) 60% M. azedarach sawdust +20% banana peel +20% eggshell (vol/vol); and (T5) 60% M. azedarach sawdust +20% banana peel +20% eggshell (vol/vol) +91 kg N ha−1 (urea). There was no significant difference between the treatments regarding seed germination and okra emergence, but leaf area, chlorophyll content index, plant biomass, number of pods per plant−1, fresh pods, and dry weight were significantly lower in pots with fresh sawdust mixtures. Organic amendments of banana peels and eggshells improved the sawdust substrate. Adding a further 91 kg N hectare−1 improved the growth but was insufficient to produce the same yield of okra as in non-fertilized sandy clay loam soil. We cannot exclude that non-composted M. azedarach sawdust may be a potential growth substrate for okra, but the amendments added were not enough to obtain the same yields as when okra was grown in soil.

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Research and Technology Transfer by the Agricultural Research Council to Sustain the South African Hydroponic Industry

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Comparative Studies On Yield And Quality Response Of Soil And Soilless Grown Tomatoes: The Case Study Of Masiphathisane Community Project And Bathurst Experimental Farm

Comparative Studies On Yield And Quality Response Of Soil And Soilless Grown Tomatoes: The Case Study Of Masiphathisane Community Project And Bathurst Experimental Farm

Yield of determinate tomato cultivars grown in a closed hydroponic system as affected by plant spacing

Non-Composted Chinaberry (Melia azedarach L.) Sawdust Mixtures as Growth Medium for Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

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