• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.328-338
• /
• 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
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.7-12
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of the different concentration of the nutrient solution on the early growth and the nutritional contents of hydroponically grown Aster koraiensis, Hemerocallis fulva and Plantago asiatica at 70 days after transplanting in perlite culture. Balanced nutrient solution formulated by Japanese Horticultural Experiment Station was used as the standard concentration of the nutrient solution. Overall plant growth of Aster koraiensis and Hemerocallis fulva such as plant height, stem diameter, number of loaves, fresh and dry shoot and root weight were significantly increased in 1.5 times concentration of nutrient solution. Shoot and root fresh and dry weight of hydroponically grown Plantago asiatica were significantly increased in the higher concentration of the nutrient solution, however, number of loaves and root length were significantly increased in the standard and the lower concentration of the nutrient solution. The highest contents of calcium, magnesium and sodium in plants were shown in Aster koraienxis which were grown in the 1.5 times concentration of nutrient solution, and Hemerocallis fulva and Plantago asiatica in 0.25 times of that. The contents of potassium in Aster koraiensis and Hemerocallis fulva were significantly increased when the plants were grown in the 0.5 times concentration of the nutrient solution, and that in Plantago asiatica in the 1.5 times concentration of the nutrient solution. The contents of phosphoric acid in plants as affected by the different species of Namul and the different concentration of the nutrient solution were not significant.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.264-269
• /
• 2006

This experiment has investigated the effect of growth, yield and fruit quality of fig plant by different concentration of nutrient solution. Nutrient solution for pig plant were three concentrations of the balanced nutrient formula development by Japanese Horticultural Experiment Station. Plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and number of fruit per plant were the best at 1/2 concentration. However, leaf length and leaf width did not show any difference in other treatment. Fruit length, fruit diameter and soluble solids did not differ from the different concentration of nutrient solutions. However, the fruit weight of fig plant was heavier by hydroponics than by soil culture in 2nd experiment. Early stage growth of fig plant was better at low concentration of nutrient solution and yield was better at high concentration. The result of this experiment will be utilized in the new application for fig plant hydroponics.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.225-232
• /
• 2003

Nutrients and water absorption by Citrus unshiu Marc. cv. Miyagawa Wase were examined using spray type of out-door hydroponics system. Three different concentration levels of nutrient solution were treated to citrus trees to examine nutrient uptake. To do so, concentration and the volume change of nutrient solution was measured for each treatment. By weighing the volume of solution and citrus trees, amounts of water uptake and fresh weight increase were observed periodically. Water uptake by trees increased as tree grew and time elapsed, but was lower at high level of nutrient concentration than the rest, due partly to the reduction in hydraulic conductance and to the sustained high salt concentration. Rapid increase in fresh weight and nutrient uptake occurred from May to July and from August to September. The amounts of nutrient uptake were significantly different among nutrient levels: the higher concentration, the greater uptake by citrus tree. The absorbed amounts of $NO_3$, K and Ca were much higher than those of $NH_4$, S, P, Mg, and Fe. Most mineral contents in leaves were proportional to the concentration of supplied nutrient solutions. From the results of nutrient absorption and contents in leaves at different levels of nutrient solutions, the composition of major elements for citrus nutrient solution can be modified as follows: 27.1, 16.5, 66.0, 80.0, and $24.0mg\;L^{-1}$ for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.277-283
• /
• 1997

The effect of nutrient concentration and plant growth regulators on rooting of Coleus stem cuttings were investigated. In contrast to sand cutting, the nutrient solution or plant growth regulator treatment increased the root numbers and root length. The concentration of nutrient solution were 1, l/2 and 1/4 strength of the balanced nutrient solution developed by Japanese Horticultural Experimental Station and the highest root growth was obtained from 1/4 strength nutrient concentration. NAA or IBA treatment in culture solution stimulated the rooting and 0.01mg/l of NAA or IBA was effective in root development. Furthermore, days for rooting were shortened and root growth were promoted by mixing nutrient solutions with plant growth regulators and by using cutting with leaves. The rooting of Coleus was observed under microscope and the adventitious root formation initiated at 3 days after cutting with nutrient and auxin mixture.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.5-14
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of nutrient solution strength on growth and nutrient element concentrations in leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. 'Dduksum') by hydroponic culture under fluorescent lamp and LED. Leaf lettuce were grown in closed hydroponic cultivation systems supplied with 1/2, 1 and 2 strength of nutrient solution recommended by horticultural experiment station in Japan. The growth of 'Dduksum' was highest in the 2 strength of standard nutrient solution. The amount of nutrient element in the recycled nutrient solution was higher at 2, 1 and 1/2 strength of nutrient solution. The concentration of NO₃-N, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ in the recycled nutrient solutions increased in 1 and 2 strength of nutrient solution but that of NH₄-N decreased gradually in 1/2 and 1 strength of nutrient solution. The concentration of K, Ca, Mg in leaf lettuce was maintained in the normal range, whereas the concentration of phosphorous was 1.3 to 1.6%, which was higher than proper range. As the concentration of NH₄-N decreases gradually in all the treatments, it is necessary to raise the rate of NH₄-N or add it.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.174-181
• /
• 2005

Experiments were carried out to develop an optimal nutrient solution for the single-stemmed rose (Rosa hybrida L.) 'Red velvet' in a closed aeroponic system. Plants were grown in 1/3, 1/2, 1, or 3/2 strength of the nutrient solution of National Horticultural Research Station in Japan (NHRS). Significantly less changes of pH and EC ($dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$) in the drainage were observed in 1/2 strength treatment as compared to other treatments. The $NO_3-N$, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the drainage solution of 1/2 strength treatment were maintained at optimal levels. These results indicated that the rose uptakes of both nutrients and water was more stable than those in other concentration. The concentration of macronutrients in nutrient solution were adjusted based on the ratio of nutrient:water (n/w) taken up by plants grown in the 1/2 strength solution. The composition of the new solution (classified the University of Seoul (UOS) solution) was as follow; $NO_3-N$ 8.8, $NH_4-N$ 0.67, P 2.0, K 4.8, Ca 4.0, Mg 2.0 $me{\cdot}L^{-1}$. To further evaluate new solution on crop growth, the rose 'Red Velvet' was grown again in l/2, 1, and 2 strength UOS solution to compare with 1.0 strength PBG (proefstion voor bloemisterij en glasgroenpe) solution. Overall the plant growth, including the stem length and number of five-leaflet leaves was higher in 1.0 strength of UOS solution than other treatments. Results presented in this study indicate that the nutrients in the UOS solution are well balanced for the single-stemmed rose in the closed aeroponic system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.88 no.2
• /
• pp.249-254
• /
• 1999

The effects of various levels of Al concentration on growth, nutrient status and net photosynthetic rate of 2-year-old Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. seedlings grown in a nutrient culture solution were investigated. Al concentrations were added as aluminum chloride($AlCl_3$) at 0(control), 10, 30 and 60ppm to the nutrient culture solution. The nutrient culture solution was maintained at pH 4.0 by adding HCl or NaOH solution. The seedlings were transplanted into the nutrient culture solution and grown in a greenhouse for 90 days from May 8 to August 6, 1996. The treatment above 10ppm of Al concentrations induced a significant reduction on the dry weight growth of the seedlings. The relative growth rate(RGR), net assimilation rate(NAR) and net photosynthetic rate of the seedlings were reduced with increasing of Al concentrations in the nutrient culture solutions. This result suggests that reductions in the RGR and NAR of the seedlings were mainly due to the inhibition of net photosynthesis. In addition, the increase of Al concentrations in a nutrient culture solution decreased the concentration of essential mineral elements such as Ca and Mg in the needle of the seedlings. However, the concentrations of Al of each plant organ increased in the treatment above 10ppm of Al concentrations in the nutrient culture solutions. This result suggests that the increased Al concentration in the belowground part resulted from the decreased concentration of essential mineral elements in the aboveground part of the seedlings.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.162-168
• /
• 1992

As the automation of nutrient solution management proceeds in the field of hydroponics, effective supporting systems to manage the nutrient solution by computer become needed. This study was attempt to predict the EC of nutrient solution using the neural networks. The multilayer perceptron consisting of 3 layers with the back propagation learning algorithm was selected for EC prediction, of which nine variables in the input layer were the concentrations of each ion and one variable in the output layer the EC of nutrient solution. The meq unit in ion concentration was selected fir input variable in the input layer. After the 10,000 learning sweeps with 108 sample data, the comparison of predicted and measured ECs for 72 test data showed good agreements with the correlation coefficient of 0.998. In addition, the predicted ECs by neural network showed relatively equal or closer to the measured ones than those by current complicated models.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.92-97
• /
• 2001

This experiment was conducted to find out optimum substrate and concentration of nutrient solution for mass production of sweet basil by pot culture. Growth depending on concentration of nutrient solution was different to some extent; the growth of plants was usually better in one-fold and two-fold concentration of nutrient solution but three-fold one was poor. Plants grown in cocopeat showed better growth, but peatmoss gave an adverse effect. Sweet basil grown in substrate mixed with cocopeat and perlite (1:1, v:v) was highest in essential oil content. After all, cultural practice by one-fold concentration of herb nutrient solution in substrate mixed with cocopeat and perlite (1:1, v:v) was recommended for better growth and higher essential oil content of sweet basil.