• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2000

This study was conducted in an effort to meet the need for domestic production of hydroponic media and for medium development using recycled hydroponic rockwool slabs. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the growth of plug seedlings of petunia 'Romeo' in various mixtures including particles of used rockwool slabs (rockwool particles) and wood chips. In the first experiment, seedlings were grown in plugs filled with mixtures of steam- sterilized rockwool particles and chestnut wood chips, which had been weathered for six months and screened through either 2.8 mm or 5.6 mm sieve, at the mixing ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, or 0:100 (v/v). In the second experiment, seedlings were grown in plugs filled with twenty different mixtures of steam-sterilized particles of used hydroponic rockwool slabs with 4 mm chestnut or pine wood chips, coir, peatmoss, or perlite. In the first experiment seedling growth was not affected by particle size of chestnut wood chips, was superior in the control (commercial plug medium) and in 100% rockwool particles, but was suppressed as mixing ratio of chestnut wood chips increased. In the second experiment, leaf length, and shoot fresh and dry weights were the greatest in rockwool particles+peatmoss+coir treatment, followed by rockwool particles+peatmoss treatment. Leaf length was suppressed as ratio of wood chips increased, especially of chestnut wood chips. Root development was the greatest in rockwool particles+peatmoss+perlite treatment, followed by the control, and rockwool particles+peatmoss+coir treatment. The growth was suppressed as the mixing ratio of rockwool particles, peatmoss, or coir decreased.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2021

This experiment was conducted to find out the possibility of use of reused rockwool and comparison of growth, productivity and quality of tomatoes according to the use of rockwool and coir medium. The experiment was conducted in an automatic controlled greenhouse at Andong National University, College of Life Science, located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do.. As a result of the experiment, there was no difference in the number of leaves, plant height, and leaf area between treatments, and the crown diameter was slightly higher in rockwool medium, also there was no difference between reused rockwool and coir medium. Fruit productivity showed different responses depending on the cultivation environment, but there was no significant difference between rockwool, reused rockwool and coir medium. In addition, the quality of fruit was observed to be different according to the concentration of EC in the medium. Therefore, in tomato hydroponic cultivation, there was no difference in the type of medium in growth, productivity, fruit quality and the environmental and water management had a great effect, and it is expected that the reuse of rockwool will have a positive effect on the economic point of view.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.72-80
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• 2023

Melons, a rich source of vitamins and fibers, are commonly grown in the soil. Hydroponic cultivation could improve yield and quality of melon and selection of substrate volume and the kind of substrates is important for hydroponic cultivation of melons. This study investigated the effect on melon growth according to volume of granular rockwool and substrates of coir and rockwool slab. 'Geumsegye' melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. Geumsegye) was cultivated hydroponically according to volume of granular rockwool to 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 L, and was also cultivated using coir and rockwool slabs. Logistic model was applied to estimate the growth characteristics of melons such as plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and the characteristics of fruit. The growth characteristics of melons were significantly increased at 4.0 L compared to those grown of 1.0 L volume of on granular rockwool, and the results were the highest in coir and rockwool slabs. Melons grown in rockwool slabs showed the largest fruit fresh weight, fruit length, and fruit width. During hydroponic cultivation, growth characteristics of melon appropriate at the 4.0 L volume of granular rockwool, and the highest at coir and rockwool slabs. This study provides a basis for understanding the effect of root zone environment to the growth characteristics and fruit quality of non-netted melon.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2007

The experiment has investigated the effects of blending rate of waste rockwool in nursery media on growth of Marygold 'Yellow boy' plug seedlings. A commercial plug medium containing 10% zeolite, 10% vermiculite, 5% perlite, 10% peatmoss and 65% cocopeat was used as the control, and the other media compounded with 10% of zeolite, vermiculite, perlite and peatmoss and 10, 30, and 50% of waste rock-wool. There was not significant difference in germination rate ot Marygold between treatments. Plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and leaf area were higher in commercial plug medium and compound nursery media containing 50% of waste rockwool than 30 or 10% of waste rockwool. Fresh weight and dry weight of shoot and root increased in the treatment of commercial plug medium and the medium of 50% waste rockwool than 10 and 30% of waste rockwool. These results suggested the possibility of utilization of waste rockwool for medium components of plug seedlings.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 1994

Crown rot was found find tomatoes growing on a rockwool culture system in a glasshouse at Dongkwangyang in 1992. The disease occurred on the stem of 'Trust' tomato plants with 3~4 cluster of flowers. Infected plants showed stem girdling and necrosis at or slightly above the rockwool line. Internal tissues of crown and stem including cortex, vascular bundle, and pith became decayed resulting in a chocolate-brown discoloration extending no more than 10~15 cm above the crown. Diseased tomato plants with the similar symptoms were found at Ansung and Taejon where tomatoes were grown on either rockwool or soil in plastic greenhouses. The size of macroconidia of Fusarium isolated from a diseased plant was 26.0~41.6$\times$2.9~4.7${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, and microconidia were formed on short monophialide and the size was 3.6~12.5$\times$2.9~3.6 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Morphological characteristics and inoculation tests indicated that the causal organism of the disease was Fusarium oxysporum.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 2013

This study was carried out to find a reasonable irrigation method of a nutrient solution for the phenolic foam slab (foam LC) used in a trial experiment to substitute the rockwool slab in the production of paprika (Capsicum annuum 'Veyron'). 100, 90, and 80 mL of a nutrient solution was supplied per plant each time when the accumulated radiation reached to 100, $90J{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, and they were named as the 100-100, 90-90, and 90-80 treatment, respectively. The drain percentage per plant of the 100-100 treatment was high by 33.8% in rockwool and 36.7% in foam LC (Lettuce Cube) and that of 90-80 treatment was low by 30.4% and 33.7%. The water content and EC of the rockwool slab were maintained in the range of 63.6-68.9% and $4.4-5.1mS{\cdot}cm^{-1}$, while those of the foam LC slab were in the range of 52.9-58.8% and $5.5-6.5mS{\cdot}cm^{-1}$. The plant height and leaf size of the 100-100 and 90-90 treatments increased in a similar manner, while those of the 90-80 treatment decreased and those of the rockwool were greater than those of the foam LC. The fruit size and weight of the 100-100 and 90-90 treatments were similarly bigger and heavier than those of the 90-80 treatment. The number of fruits harvested per plant was the greatest in the 90-80 treatment with 8 and 8.3 fruits in the rockwool and foam LC. The number of marketable fruits in the rockwool and foam LC was the greatest with 18.1 and 18.2, respectively, in the 90-90 treatment, while that in the 90-80 treatment was 17.2 and 16.8, respectively. The number of unmarketable fruits of the 90-80 treatment was the greatest (1.7-1.8 fruits per plant) in both the rockwool and foam LC, and most of them were small sized or blossom end rot fruits. The yield of the 90-90 treatment was the greatest among the irrigation.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.309-313
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• 2007

Experiments were conducted to measure rooting and growth of rose cuttings as affected by medium composition and volume. Rosa hybrida 'Red Sandra' and 'Little Marble' were used as test plants. For medium composition test, rockwool, phenolic foam, perlite, vermiculite, peatmoss, coir and a commercial medium (Tosilee medium) were applied in single or mixed forms on the propagation bed with fog (200 sec./5 min.) installed to control the humidification time. 'Red Sandra' and 'Little Marble' cuttings were planted in 16-cell plastic pots and 72-cell plug trays, respectively. For the medium volume test, 72-cell plug trays and 16-cell or 9-cell plastic pots were used. Cuttings with an uniform node with a five-leaflet leaf was soaked in a $500mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ IBA solution for 30 sec. A fogging system installed on the propagation bed was used for (100 sec./5 min.). Rockwool 1 : peatmoss 1 (v/v) was the most effective on growth and rooting for both cultivars and high volume of Tosilee medium and rockwool were most effective media far both cultivars.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.153-162
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• 2023

It is important to determine water movement at the growing substrate used in soil-less cultivation for better management of water supply. Numerical simulation is a fast and versatile approach to evaluate highly accurate water distribution. The objective of this study is to simulate the water movement in rockwool as a soil-less medium using HYDRUS-2D. HYDRUS-2D was used to simulate the spatial and temporal water movement in two types of rockwool slabs (Floriculture (FL), high density; Expert (EP), low density). The simulation was performed at two pulse conditions: 10 min ON and 50 min OFF (case A), 20 min ON and 40 min OFF (case B). The total irrigation amounts were the same at both cases. In case A, during the irrigation ON, the water contents at FL increased 1.93-fold faster than the values at EP. Whereas, during the irrigation OFF, the decreasing rate of water contents at FL was almost the same as one at EP. At case B, these values were not changed much from case A. However, the duration of optimum water content (50% - 80%) was 15.0 min and 23.5 min at case A and case B, respectively. Thus, FL and 20 min ON and 40 min OFF (case B) could supply water to rockwool much faster and longer than EP. Once qualitatively validated, this simulation of water movement in rockwool could be used to design an effective optimum irrigation method for vegetables.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 2003

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of several subtrates on the growth of cucumber and tomato seedlings. Cucumber and tomato seeds were sown in plug trays that were filled with eight differenct kinds of substrates. One of them was filled with recycled rockwool by 100%. The other six were mixed with used rockwool media:several ratios of recycled rockwool+peatmoss (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, v/v) and recycled rockwool+chestnut wood ships (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, v/v), and the last was 100% chestnut wood chips. The growth of cucumber and tomato seedlingsin 72 plug tray was better in recycled rockwool+peatmoss (1:2, v/v) substrates that the others tested. CEC 9cation exchange capacity) and EC was a little higher in mixed substrates that blended with organic media. But 100% chestnut wood chips and mixed ones with recycled rockwool inhibited severely the growth of seedlings, especially in tomatos. Therefore, it is suggested that the recycled rockwool be capable of utilization to raise seedlings of cucumber and tomato.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.414-423
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• 2016

Growers in plug seedling production think that root media in which rockwool is a component has given rise to several environmental problems. Therefore, the demand for new materials as a substitute for rockwool has been increased. This study examined the possibility of cultivation of tomato plug seedlings using a newly developed growing medium with phenolic foam. Plug seeds of tomato cultivar 'Madison' were sown in four pellet-type growing media: Grodan rockwool (GRW), UR rockwool (URW), phenolic foam LC (LC) or phenolic foam LC-lite (LC-lite). Then, the seedlings were transplanted to the four cube-type growing media 19 days after sowing. Seeds were germinated in a growth chamber ($25{\pm}2^{\circ}C$, 80% relative humidity, and dark) for 4 days and then the seedlings were grown with a nutrient solution supplied by an overhead irrigation system in a greenhouse. Plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, and fresh or dry weight of tomato seedlings were the greatest for the seedlings transplanted to URW cube media after being grown on LC-lite pellets. Root grade was the greatest for the seedlings transplanted on LC or LC-lite cube media after being grown on LC pellets. Chemical properties of all media tested for tomato growth were maintained within a stable range, while physical properties of URW showed high values in container capacity, air space, and total porosity. These results demonstrated that the phenolic foam media were effective for seedling growth and can substitute for rockwool as a root medium.