• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2023

There are many different types of cultivation in tomatoes for year-round production. One of them, semi-forcing cultivation is characterized by growing seedlings in winter season. If grafted seedlings are used in winter season that energy cost can be reduced, because they have tolerance to cold stress. This study was conducted to analyze the rootstock performance by measuring the growth, yield, and leaf-macronutrient content of cherry tomatoes grown in semi-forcing hydroponics. Three domestic rootstocks 'HSF4', '21LM', '21A701', and a control cultivar 'B-blocking' were grafted onto jujube-shaped cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) commercial cultivar 'Nonari'. The total yield per plant with grafted cherry tomato '21A701' was 3,387g, which was 11%, 22% and 24% higher than the yield with 'B-blocking', non-grafted one and 'HSF4'. The stem diameter of '21A701' was thick with 8.26mm, whereas non-grafted one was thin with 7.23mm at 160 days after transplanting. The flowering position of '21LM' was 34% and 47% higher than the flowering position of 'B-blocking' and non-grafted one at 153 days after transplanting. The NO₃-N concentration in petiole sap of '21LM' was the highest with 1,746mg·L^-1 and non-grafted one and 'HSF4' were the lowest with 1,252mg·L^-1 and 1,245mg·L^-1 at 167 days after transplanting. The results indicated that rootstock/scion combinations in cherry tomatoes can affect the plant growth, yield, and the concentration of different NO₃-N in leaves at the late growth stage. Both '21A701' and '21LM' have vigorous root system, which influence the growth and yield increased.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.418-423
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• 2017

In hydroponics, the nutrient solution is supplied considering the water and nutrient uptake characteristics of crops. However, as the ionic uptake characteristics are changed as a result of the weather conditions or the growth response of the crops, the root zone can not be maintained in optimal condition. In addition, the coir substrate has been used mainly for the tomato cultivation in place of the inorganic substrate, there are few studies on long-term cultivation using coir substrate. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of EC level of irrigation solution on tomato growth and inorganic ions of root zone in soilless culture using coir. Coir substrate mixed with 5 : 5 chip and dust was used. EC level of irrigation solution was 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and $3.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. At the initial stage, $NO_3-N$, P, Ca and Mg in the drainage were lower than the irrigation level at 1.0 and $1.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. However, EC $2.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ or higher, all the ions except P were highly concentrated in the drainage. The average fruit weight was not significantly different between 1.0 and $1.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ until 3th cluster, but from the next cluster, the higher the EC level, the smaller the weight. The number of fruit and yield to 6th cluster was the highest at $1.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$. From the next cluster, The yield was decreased with the higher EC level. At the early stage of growth, BER occurred only in EC $3.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, but increased in all treatments with increasing irradiation. The incidence rate of EC $3.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ was higher than that of the lower EC level treatment.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.248-255
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• 2013

This study examined an automated irrigation technique by a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor for scheduling irrigation for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. 'Starbuck F1') cultivation aimed at avoiding effluent from an open hydroponic system with coir substrate containing different ratios of chip-to-dust (v/v) content. Specifically, the objectives were to undertake preliminary measurements of irrigation volumes, leachate volume, volumetric water content and electrical conductivity (EC) in the substrate, plant growth, fruit yield, and water use efficiency resulting from variation in chip content as an initial experiment. Commercial coir substrates containing different percentages of chips and dust (0 and 100%, 30 and 70%, 50 and 50%, or 70 and 30%), two-story coir substrates with different percentages of chips in the lower layer and dust in the upper layer (15 and 85%, 25 and 75%, or 35 and 65%), or rockwool slabs were used. The results showed that a negligible or no leachate was found for all treatments when plants were grown under a technique for scheduling non-drainage irrigation using a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor. Daily irrigation volume was affected by chip content in both commercial and two-story slabs. The highest plant growth, marketable fruit weight, and water-use efficiency were observed in the plants grown in the commercial coir slab containing 0% chips and 100% dust, indicating that the FDR sensor-auto-mated irrigation may be more useful for tomato cultivation in coir substrate containing 0% chips and 100% dust using water efficiently and minimizing or avoiding leachate and thus increasing yield and reducing pollution. Detailed experiment is necessary to closely focus on determining appropriate irrigation volume at each of irrigation as well as duration of each individual irrigation cycle depending on different physical properties of substrates using an automated irrigation system operated by the FDR sensor.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2019

This study was carried out to acquire basic data for a long-term hydroponic culture through investigating water and inorganic ion uptake characteristics at different EC level of nutrient solution of three tomato varieties. Three different tomato varieties, the European type(cv. Daphnis), the Asian type(cv. Super Doterang) and cherry type(cv. Minichal), were used for the investigation. Also, the deep flow technique(DFT) was applied. The three different electrical conductivity(EC) level(1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 dS·m-1) of hydroponic nutrient solution were used as variable. At a high EC level of nutrient solution, the leaf area and fresh weight decreased in the early stage, and its growth(plant height, leaf number, leaf area, fresh-weight) was poor with salt stress. Result showed that the higher the EC level of the nutrient solution, the lesser was water uptake. The water uptake was not significantly different from varieties in the first survey, but In the second survey, the 'Daphnis' did not show a significant decrease in water uptake in the EC level higher than 2.0 dS·m-1., on the other hand, 'Super Doterang' presented very low water uptake. At a low EC level, N, P, and K, were absorbed more than the concentration of the irrigation water, while Ca, Mg, S uptake were low. At a high EC level, almost ions absorbed less than 50% of the initial concentration of irrigation water. Thus, imbalance among ions was severe at low EC level compared to high EC level. 'Daphnis' was a variety that effectively utilize nutrients under nutrient stress, showing high absorption at low concentration condition and low absorption at high concentration condition. However, 'Daphnis' suffered most seriously by absorbing nutrients excessively.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.170-179
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• 2012

We examined pretreatment methods eliminating potassium and sodium efficiently for coir bag used in hydroponics by analyzing drainage coming from coir bags. In the first experiment we investigated for six coir bags with the high market shares. The three types of pretreatment were washing coir bags with only water for 7 days (W7S0), washing with water for 4 days and further with nutrient solution for 3 days (W4S3), and washing with only nutrient solution for 7 days (W0S7). In the second experiment we tested reproducibility of the experiment results for Bio Grow and coco Mix among six coir bags used in the first experiment to verify the results. As a result, the best pretreatments for the pH stabilization were W4S3 and W0S7. The EC value of the drainage was stabilized to less than 1.0 that is the same as EC of the supply solution on the fourth day in all treatments. The nutrients of the drainage in W7S0 was stabilized in 3~4 days but calcium and magnesium were depleted. We assessed that washing longer than 4 days was waste of water. The stabilization of coir bags in W0S7 was similar to it in W4S3, but washing with the nutrient solution for 7 days seemed to be uneconomical. The reproducibility experiment for two coir bags ensured the results in the first experiment. Therefore, the pretreatment method, which is the most simple to implement and economic, seems to wash with water for 3 days and then with the nutrient solution for 1 day before planting on coir bag.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.225-230
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• 2006

Tomatoes were experimented in perlite bags for various irrigation control methods to elucidate the efficient method for nutrient solution management. The irrigation control methods were for 3 different types such as control by drainage level sensor (PROBE), control by integrated solar radiation (ISR), and control by time clock (Timer). The substrate weight was maintained stably in the proper range in PROBE treatment, regardless of daily solar radiations or growth stages. The bed weights in the treatments of ISR and Timer were changed largely. Growth as well as total yield was the highest in PROBE treatment. There was no difference in soluble solids (Brix %) among the treatments. Consequently, ISR control could be useful only with appropriate timer control and also calibration. Control by drainage level sensor was suggested to be the most satisfactory as irrigation management method.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.366-375
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• 2019

This experiment aims to determine the proper irrigation scheduling based on a whole-substrate capacitance using a newly developed device (SCMD) by comparing with the integrated solar radiation automated irrigation system (ISR) and sap flow sensor automated irrigation system (SF) for the cultivation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. 'Hoyong' 'Super Doterang') during spring to winter season. For the SCMD system, irrigation was conducted every 10 minutes after the first irrigation was started until the first run-off was occurred, of which the substrate capacitance was considered to be 100%. When the capacitance threshold (CT) was reached to the target point, irrigation was re-conducted. After that, when the target drain volume (TDV) was occurred, the irrigation stopped. The irrigation volume per event for the SCMD was set to 50, 75, or 100 mL at CT 0.9 and TDV 100 mL during the spring to summer cultivation, and the CT was set to 0.65, 0.75, 0.80, or 0.90 in the winter cultivation. When the irrigation volume per event was set to 50, 75, or 100 mL, the irrigation frequency in a day was 39, 29, and 19, respectively, and the drain rate was 3.04, 9.25, and 20.18%, respectively. When the CT was set to 0.65, 0.75, or 0.90 in winter, the irrigation frequency was about 6, 7, 15 times, respectively and the drain rate was 9.9, 10.8, 35.3% respectively. The signal of stem sap flow at the beginning of irrigation starting time did not correspond to that of solar irradiance when the irrigation volume per event was set to 50 or 75 mL, compared to that of 100 mL. In winter cultivation, the stem sap flow rate and substrate volumetric water content at the CT 0.65 treatment were very low, while they were very high at CT 0.90 was high. All the integrated data suggest that the proper range of irrigation volume per event is from 75 to 100 mL under at CT 0.9 and TDV 100 mL during the spring to summer cultivation, and the proper CT seems to be higher than 0.75 and lower than 0.90 under at 75 mL of the irrigation volume per event and TDV 70 mL during the winter cultivation. It is going to be necessary to investigate the relationship between capacitance value and substrate volumetric water content by determining the correction coefficient.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 1999

This study was carried out to examine the effect of day/nignt temperatures during seedling culture on the vegetative and reproductive growth of Lycopersicum esculentum ‘Seokwang’. The study was consisted of two culture stages, plug seedling production in the growth chamber and hydroponic culture of the plant in a glasshouse. Experiments were replicated over time. The germinated seedlings were raised for 33 days (experiment 1) and 35 days (experiment 2) in 4 growth chambers, each with day/night temperatures of either $25^{\circ}C$/$25^{\circ}C$, 16$^{\circ}C$/16$^{\circ}C$, 16$^{\circ}C$/$25^{\circ}C$ or $25^{\circ}C$/16$^{\circ}C$. Cool-white fluorescent lamps provided 140$\mu$mol.m$^{-2}$ .s$^{-1}$ light for 12h each day. In the second experiment, all chambers were supplied with 1000$\mu$mol.mol$^{-1}$ CO$_{2}$ during the photoperiod and had an air velocity of 0.3m.s$^{-1}$ and relative humidity of 80%. Plug seedlings raised were transplanted to rockwool slabs in a glasshouse and were grown hydroponically using the same nutrient solutions used for seedling culture for 37 days (experiment 1) and 35 days (experiment 2). Plant height was affected more by mean daily temperature than by interaction of day and night temperatures. Plant height was the highest in 16/16$^{\circ}C$ treatment. Leaf count was not affected by day and night temperatures, and the chlorophyll concentration was the highest in 16/$25^{\circ}C$ treatment. Fresh and dry weights of stem tended to be greater in treatments of constant day and night temperature. The number of node on which first and second flower clusters were set was significantly higher in 25/$25^{\circ}C$ treatment than in the other treatments. Days to flower of the first flower on the first flower cluster were the greatest in 25/$25^{\circ}C$ and the least in 16/$25^{\circ}C$ treatment. Vegetative and reproductive growth, such as height, fresh and dry weights, days to flower, and nodes of the 1st and 2nd flower cluster set were affected by day/night temperatures.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2018

Also, t-cincreaseisdecreasein order In hydroponics, the accumulation of inorganic ions in the root zone are closely related to the irrigation volume. Therefore, the effects of irrigation volume on the growth and yield of tomatoes are very signigicant. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of irrigation volume on inorganic ions of root zone in hydroponic culture using coir substrate. The irrigation volume was adjusted to 4 levels depending on the integrated solar radiation for each growth period. The drainage ratio was calculated by daily amount of irrigation and drainage. The higher irrigation volume is, drainage ratio and water absorption tended to increase. But, the water absorption in the treatment of high irrigation volume was decreased in February and March compared to the treatment of medium high irrigation volume. By calculating monthly average irrigation volume and the drainage ratio, 120 to 1$40J/cm^2$ in January, 100 to $120J/cm^2$ in February, 80 to $100J/cm^2$ in March, 70 to $90J/cm^2$ in April and 60 to $75J/cm^2$ in May was detected as appropriate irrigation volume ranges which drainage ratio was 20-30%. The higher irrigation volume, the lower the concentration of ions decrease, which could prevent the accumulation of nutrients in the root zone. However, due to the characteristics of the coir substrate that absorbs ions, concentration of ions was significantly high when the drainage ratio was 20-30%. However, concentrations of P and K were sometimes lower in the drainage than that of irrigation water regardless of the treatment. Mg and S were the most highly accumulated ions even in the treatment of high irrigation volume. In low radiation season, there was no difference in the ion concentration in the drainage depending on the irrigation volume. In high radiation season, the lower irrigation volume, resulted to the higher ion concentration in the drainage. After March, it was difficult to prevent the increase of ions concetration in the drainage by only adjusting irrigation volume. Thus, it is necessary to decrease the EC of irrigation solution to prevent the accumulation of nutrients in the root zone.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2006

The physical properties of seven perlites different in particle size distribution were investigated to develop perlite bag culture in Korea. Particle sizes of 1.0-2.8mm and larger than 2.8 mm were rather evenly distributed in S-1 (1.2-5 mm), S-2 (0.15-5 mm) and S-5 (parat No.1). Larger particles were less in S-3 (1-3 mm), S-4 (Parat No.2), S-6 (OTAVI) and S-7 (Agroperl B-3). S-4, S-6 and S-7 contained lots of particles less than 1 mm in size. Total porosity was similar among substrates with the value of $59{\sim}62%$. Container capacity was between 35-40% regardless of substrates except in S-2 with 27.7%. Water content, which was about 60% at 0 kPa, was decreased sharply at 4.90 kPa regardless of substrates, which meant the easily available water was plenty in any kind of perlite tested. Substrates, S-1, S-2 and S-3 with different particle size distribution, were investigated to evaluate for perlite bag culture. Six tomatoes (Licopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rokkusanmaru) were planted in a perlite bag of 40 liters with the dimension of 120cm in length and 34cm in width. The amount of nutrient solution supplied and its drainage dependent on daily integrated radiation didn't show any regular trend during the growth. Roots in the bag were distributed evenly in S-1 and S-2 than in S-3. Plant grown in S-1 showed the highest total and marketable yield of 8,628 and 7,759 kg/10a, respectively. The number of small size fruits and malformed fruits were more in S-3. Consequently, S-1 with the particle size distribution of 1.2-5 mm is suggested as desirable substrate for perlite bag culture.