• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.395-406
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• 2007

The twenty seven wrap-up vegetables (13 Compositae, 14 Brassicaceae) and seven herbs (6 Labiatae, 1 Umbelliferae) were cultivated with a deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponic beds and treated with 3 levels of nutrient solution concentrations of 1.2, 2.4, and $3.6dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in summer and autumn season. The pH and electrical conductivity (EC) change of nutrient solution, fresh weight, and mineral contents of plants were investigated. The pH was maintained lower in high electrical conductivity (EC) treatment and in summer than autumn. EC of nutrient solution in EC $3.6dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ treatment increased up to $4.8dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ during the growing period in summer season. The growth of tested plants showed high variations by plant species and nutrient solution concentrations. The coefficient variation (CV) of the shoot fresh weight of plants was higher in summer than autumn. The growth of Compostiae and herbs was better at EC $1.2dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, and 14 Brassicaceae was better at EC $2.4dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in summer. In autumn, the growth was better at EC $2.4dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in all plants except kale 'TBC F1' and red rape 'honchaetae'. In mineral contents, total nitrogen and potassium were higher in autumn than summer. Total nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium were higher in Brassicaceae than others. Iron and manganese, however, were higher in Compositae. As the results, this study suggests that mixed planting of 27 wrap-up vegetables and 7 herbs in DFT hydroponics in two seasons was possible and EC $1.2dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in summer and EC $2.4dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in autumn be recommended as for the nutrient solution concentration to produce them safely year round.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 1995

These studies were carried out to develop a system for non -destructive and continuous measurement of fresh weight and to analyse the growth response of leaf lettuce under the different nutrient solution and light condition with this system. The developed measurement system was consisted of four load cells and a microcomputer. The output from the system was highly positive correlation with the plant fresh weight above the surface of the hydroponic solution. The top fresh weight of plant could be measured within the error $\pm$ 1.0g in the range of 0 - 2000g. The top fresh weight of leaf lettuce increased 44 times at 18th day after transferring to the nutrient solution, and the maximum growth rate was observed at 13th day after transferring. The growth rate was 10.7- 29.6% per day during 18 days. Optimum concentration of the nutrient solution for the growth of lettuce was 1.4 - 2.2 mS/cm of EC level. When the light condition was changed from dark to light, the fresh weight was temporarily decreased, but the fresh weight increased under the opposite condition. Top fresh weight of leaf lettuce in the darkness normally increased within 12 hours after darkness treatment, and then slowly increased until 78 hours under continuous dark condition. After that times, the fresh weight began to decrease.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-68
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• 2006

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of diurnal alternation of nutrient solution salinity on growth and fruit quality of tomatoes (Lycoperisicon esculentum cv. 'House momotaro') hydroponically grown in root intercept bag-NFT (RIB-NFT) system. Plant height was the lowest in the high concentration during daytime (6/1 $dS\;m^{-1}$, day/night). Yield was very high in the concentration of 1/1 $dS\;m^{-1}$, it decreased with increasing the concentration of nutrient Yield was higher at low concentration (4/1 $dS\;m^{-1}$) at nighttime compared to the same concentration (4/4 $dS m^{-1}$) at daytime and nighttime, and the reverse (1/4 $dS\;m^{-1}$) was similar to the control (perlite culture). Yield was greatly reduced by higher concentration at daytime than nighttime, and the decrease was alleviated by lower concentration at nighttime. With increasing the concentration of nutrient solution during daytime, sugar content of tomato fruit was increased, but yield was decreased. In the other experiment, tomato plants were hydropoically cultured in NFT system diurnally alternated between Aichi's solution and $Ca(NO_3)_2$ solution. $Ca(NO_3)_2$ solution was supplied for 4 hours from 10:00 to 14:00 at daytime and from 22:00 to 2:00 at nighttime, respectively, and Aichi's solution was supplied for the time except the 4 hours. Ca content of leaves and sugar content of fruit were increased by supplying $Ca(NO_3)_2$ solution at daytime compared to nighttime, but plant growth was greatly suppressed by supplying $Ca(NO_3)_2$ solution with the concentration of 4 $dS\;m^{-1}(4/4^{Ca}\;dS\;m^{-1})$ at nighttime.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.293-305
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• 2020

This experiment was aimed to identify concentrations of mineral nutrients in leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown on hydroball aquaponics and in the water for growing fish by conducting two experiments. The experiment I (Expt. I) was conducted with 12 fishes (F12) with and without filter, hydroball and plants (H12 (12 fishes, hydroball), FHP12 (12 fishes, filter, hydroball, 6 plants) and HP12 (12 fishes, hydroball, 6 plants)), and the experiment II (Expt. II) was with and without plants (FH15 (15 fishes, filter, hydroball), FHP15 (15 fishes, filter, hydroball, 6 plants)). The pH level in the water of all the treatments was decreased during the growing period, and the pH and EC of the water were lower in all the treatment with plants than those without plants in both Expt. I and Expt. II. When compared with adequate nutrient concentrations for hydroponics, nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the fish growing water were higher under the FHP15 treatment in Expt. II; however, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were only 16, 49, and 82% of hydroponics, representatively, and iron (Fe) was not detected. The fresh weight of lettuce harvested from the FHP15 treatment was 38 g, only a 30% of marketable lettuce yield. The T-N and P contents of the leaf tissue grown under the FHP15 treatment were close to the optimal level; however, the K, Ca, and iron (Fe) contents were less than the optimal with no deficiency symptom.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

This study aimed to determine the photosynthesis and growth characteristics of Peucedanum japonicum T. grown under aquaponics in a plant factory (AP) by comparing those grown under hydroponic cultivation system (HP). The AP system raised 30 fishes at a density of 10.6 kg·m^-3 in a 367.5 L tank, and at HP, nutrient solution was controlled with EC 1.3 dS·m^-1 and pH 6.5. The pH level ranged from 4.0 to 7.1 for the AP system and 4.0 to 7.4 for the HP system. The pH level in the AP began to decrease with an increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and lasted bellower than pH 5.5 for 15-67 DAT. It was found that ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N) continued to increase even under low pH conditions. EC was maintained at 1.3 to 1.5 dS·m^-1 in both systems. The concentration of major mineral elements in the fish tank was higher than that of the hydroponics, except for K and Mg. There was no significant difference in the photosynthesis characteristics, but the PIABS parameters were 30.4% lower in the AP compared to the HP at the 34DAT and 12.0% lower at the 74DAT. There was no significant difference in the growth characteristics, but the petiole length was 56% longer in the leaf grown under the AP system. While there was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weights of leaf and root, the leaf area ratio was 36.43% higher in the AP system. All the integrated results suggest that aquaponics is a highly-sustainable farming to safely produce food by recycling agricultural by-products, and to produce Peucedanum japonicum as much as hydroponics under a proper fish density and pH level.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.328-338
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• 1990

The objective of this study was to develop automatic systems of nutrient solution management for optimal nutrient solution environment and labor saving in water culture which enables factory crop production. In this study, an automatic control system and its driving program are developed to prepare, supply, and recover nutrient solution and to keep the optimal solution concentration level using microcomputers. Based on this study, the following conclusions are obtained: 1. The concentration measured by the system using oscillating circuit designed and built in this study, gave good agreements with the actual nutrient solution. 2. In water culture, the period of 12 hours for measuring concentration, pH, and temperature of the nutrient solution was optimum. Addition of control solution due to the decrease of the nutrient solution concentration is required in every 3 to 5 days. 3. It is estimated that the period of the whole solution change is 15 days, however, further research is needed to assure it. In addition, this period must be shortened in the future. 4. Both the hardware and software of the developed optimal nutrient solution control system in the water culture are working very well, however, it is necessary to develop a more economical one-chip micro controller to substitute for the microcomputer.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.333-340
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• 2011

This study was conducted on the effect of plant growth retardants (PGRs) on growth of potted Ardisia pusilla and Ardisia pusilla var. variegata grown for a short term in an ebb and flow system. Plants were planted in 10 cm plastic pots, containing a mixture of peat moss and perlite (1 : 1, v/v) on 30 June 2005 and were grown until 23 Sep. 2005. The PGRs used were 50, 200, 350, 500 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ daminozide (B- 9), 10, 40, 70, 100 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ paclobutrazol (Boundy), and 5, 15, 25, 35 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ ethephon (Florel). On every irrigation, the nutrient solution containing PGRs was supplied at a 2 cm depth and was kept for 15~20 minutes. The surplus nutrient solution was drained back into the tank for next irrigations. In both cultivars, paclobutrazol gave the most pronounced effect in inhibition of stretchiness. Ardisia pusilla, which was pinched just before initiation of paclobutrazol treatment, resulted in the greatest inhibition of shoot elongation. Daminozide treatments above 200 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ also gave reduction of shoot length. However, ethephon treatments gave no dwarfing effect in Ardisia pusilla. Inhibition of stretchiness was observed even in the lowest concentration treatments. Among the PGRs, paclobutrazol was the most effective in suppressing plant stretchiness.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.725-736
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• 2017

TThis study investigated the influence of AGH-Ringer (chelated organic minerals liquid fertilizer) on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of 'Jukhyang' strawberry in a hydroponic system. The results revealed that AGH-Ringer group led to significantly higher plant length than that of the control group, and that leaf length and leaf width increased with increasing leaf area. In addition, the fresh and dry weights of leaves and SPAD unit, which measures leaf color also showed a significant increase with AGH-Ringer. However, the length and dry weight of roots did not show significant differences when compared to the control group. In the fruit quality analysis, AGH-Ringer group did not show any difference in fruit length compared to the control group, but it increased both the fruit weight, which, along with the simultaneous increase in fruit width, increased the yield per strawberry. Furthermore, AGH-Ringer group strengthened the red skin color of the fruit, and resulted in significantly greater hardness than that of the control group, but did not have any effect on the soluble solid content and acidity. As shown in the results, the AGH-Ringer group resulted in lesser mineral content and lower to medium EC (electrical conductivity) in comparison to the inorganic mineral hydroponic fertilizer, which was used as a control. However, it increased the leaf growth, fruit weight, and yield, and improved the fruit quality by increasing the soluble solid content in the hydroponic system of 'Jukhyang' strawberry. Therefore, based on this study, AGH-Ringer is thought to be a more effective hydroponic fertilizer than the inorganic mineral hydroponic fertilizer. Moreover, the field experiment demonstrated that AGH-Ringer is a useful hydroponic fertilizer convenient for application in farms. This study also proved that AGH-Ringer is a fertilizer that can promote plant nutrition by controlling the salinity of the soil and facilitating the absorption of necessary minerals in future soil cultivation, thereby providing basic data for organic farming.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.53-61
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• 2022

Growing agricultural products in greenhouses controlled by creating suitable climatic conditions and root zone of crop has been an important research and application subject. Appropriate environmental conditions in greenhouse are necessary for optimum plant growth improved crop yields. This study aimed to establish web-based remote monitoring system which monitors crops growth environment and status of crop on a real-time basis by applying to greenhouses IT technology connecting greenhouse equipment such as temperature sensors, soil sensors, crop sensors and camera. The measuring items were air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, CO₂ concentration, EC and pH of nutrient solution, medium temperature, EC of medium, water content of medium, leaf temperature, sap flow, stem diameter, fruit diameter, etc. The developed greenhouse monitoring system was composed of the network system, the data collecting device with sensors, and cameras. Remote monitoring system was implemented in a server/client environment. Information on greenhouse environment and crops is stored in a database. Items on growth and environment is extracted from stored information, could be compared and analyzed. So, A integrated monitoring system for smart greenhouse would be use in application practice and understanding the environment and crop growth for smart greenhouse management. sap flow, stem diameter and pant-water relations

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2003

The effect of vertical stratification of perlite by particle size on the growth and yield of tomato In a recycling hydroponics was examined. Vertical stratifications were composed of mixed form of small medium and large size (MP), divided forms of small and large size (smal1/1arge, DP I), and medium and large size (medium/large, DP II). Tomatoes showed higher growth in divided form, specially in DP II than DP I. Deformed fruits had higher occurrence by 17.8% in the mixed form than divided forms, while they were not significantly different between mixed forms. Root activity tended to increase during 20 days to 50 days after transplanting (DAT) in all treatments, but showed highest value at 50 DAT in DP II. After harvest electric conductivity and pH of stratified perlite were slightly higher in upper zone of DP I, but were not different in the other treatments. Mineral contents in the medium after harvest were higher in lower zone than the upper zone in MP and DP II, but vice versa in DP I.