• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2011

This research was conducted to establish efficient methods to control root-zone temperature of tomato plant when cultivated in perlite bag during the summer season. Tomato plants were grown with four selected treatments; covering irrigation pipe by aluminum insulation material (Insulate), discarding nutrient solution inside the irrigation line before each irrigation (Discard), skipping irrigation for two hours from 13:00 to 15:00 (Skip), or no treatment as a control (Non). Based on the analysis of plant development index, all plants with selected treatments grew more vigorous and vegetative in similar growth patterns. The discard treatment exhibited the best root-zone temperature control among the treatments. The discard treatment also resulted in the best root growth and above-ground growth, followed by skip, Insulate and Non. The total yields were obtained by the order of Insulate, Discard, Non and Skip. However the marketable yield was obtained by the order of Discard, Insulate, Skip and Non. The net incomes treated with Discard and Insulate were 9,687,600 and 9,396,000 Korean won per hectare, respectively, exhibiting higher incomes than that of Non. Therefore, it was concluded that insulation of the irrigation pipe and discarding nutrient solution inside the pipe before each irrigation were the most desirable and economical methods in terms of costs and yields.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.783-789
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• 2010

The effective method for heating root-zone during winter season was studied in the aspects of growth, yield and economics for tomato ($Solanum$ $lycopersicum$) in perlite bag culture. There were four root-zone heating treatments: two hours heating from one hour before to one hour after sunrise, four hours from two hours before to two hours after sunrise, 15 hours after sunset, and no heating. The growth characteristics of the upper parts of plants were not significantly different among the treatments, but root volume increased with longer heating of the root zone. The Plant Development Index, using stem diameter and the length between growing tip and the upper flowering truss, showed relation between yield per cluster and growth pattern. The treatment heating for four hours was the most economic in terms of growth and yield of tomato.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.409-414
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• 2010

The first drainage time in a day was controlled for precise irrigation management with low consumption of nutrient solution in tomato perlite bag culture system by measuring water level of drained water in drainage catchment part. This method automatically adjusted the irrigation time under any condition of light, temperature and humidity, resulting in stable water content in substrates. However, it was difficult to keep the time consistent as they were set. It drained with the deviation of 20 min in the treatment in which the first drainage time was set at 10:00 and 50 min in the treatment set at 10:30. The first drainage time was not constant, but the drain occurred stably before noon in the treatment of which irrigation frequency was longer than 30 min. The drainage ratio was better balanced in all the treatments using drainage level sensors than the treatment using time clock for irrigation control. High water and fertilizer efficiencies were obtained. Although the growth, total yield and sugar content were not significantly different between the treatments, fruit weight was higher in the treatments using drainage level sensors than that using timer.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2011

The influence of physicochemical properties of root substrates on the growth of mother plants and occurrence of daughter plants in 'Seolhyang' strawberry propagation were investigated through plastic bag cultivation. Six different formulations of root substrates were coir dust + perlite (5:5, A), coir dust + perlite (6:4, B), coir dust + perlite (7:3, C), coir dust + coconut chip (7:3, D), coir dust + coconut chip (6:4, E), and peatmoss + vermiculite (5:5, v/v; F). The total porosities (TP) and container capacities (CC) of all root substrates were higher than 85% and 55%, respectively, indicating that all substrates were in the acceptable range. But the TP and CC of F substrate were 91.5% and 60%, respectively, which were the highest among the root substrates tested. In the soil chemical properties analyzed before planting and after harvesting of 'Seolhyang' strawberry mother plants, the root substrates of A, B, C, and F had higher electrical conductivity and $NO_3$-N concentrations than those of D and F. The root substrates of A, B, C, and F had heavier runner fresh and dry weights, longer runner lengths, and more daughter plant occurrence than those of D and F. The treatment F had higher tissue N content than any other treatments at 120 days after the transplanting of 'Seolhyang' strawberry and statistical differences were not observed among remained 5 substrates. The treatment of F also had the higher tissue contents of other nutrients except N analyzed at 120 days after transplanting. These results indicated that soil chemical properties rather than physical properties severely influenced the growth of runners and occurrence of daughter plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bio-Environment Control Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.223-229
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• 2007

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.23-26
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• 2010

Commercial fibers such as two kinds of micro-fiber, flannel, and cotton were analyzed for their nutrient solution absorption capacity to select hydrophilic mat used for the irrigation management by drainage level sensor in perlite bag culture. The selected mat was evaluated in terms of absorption capacity. Cotton had the highest absorption capacity and was revealed to be the most appropriate for the control system.