• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2024

This study was conducted to validate the growth and productivity of cucumber hydroponics using coir as the medium, different types of nutrient solutions and formal methods, in order to select the most efficient cultivation method. The nutrient solutions consisted of culture solution (S) and raw water (W), the planting methods were rockwool cube seedlings (RC), rockwool plug seedlings (RP), and slab directly seedlings (DS). The reference date was set the sowing date. The initial growth showed a significant increase in the culture solution treatment, the differences among treatments decreased as the growth period lengthened. There was no apparent correlation between the planting methods and growth, but different results were observed among the same planting methods depending on nutrient solution used. Similarly, productivity followed a similar trend, with significantly higher harvest in the culture solution treatment during the initial harvest period of 6-8 weeks after sowing, but the harvest gap among treatments were diminished in the after period. The cumulative harvest was significantly higher in the culture solution treatment due to the initial difference in harvest quantity. Plant growth and fruit productivity exhibited a similar trend, showing a linear relationship. There was no correlation among the planting methods, but direct seedling with the culture solution showed the highest initial growth and harvests due to stable nutrient and moisture supply in the initial root zone. Therefore, it is believed that direct seeding method on the culture solution medium would be most advantageous for plant growth and productivity. Additionally, it is expected to contribute to cost effectiveness from an economic perspective through simplification of the cultivation process, labor costs and production cost reduction

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2014

We analyzed drainage water from coir substrate in which cucumber plants were grown in winter and elucidated changes in pH, EC, and major nutrients according to the growth stages to recommend nutrient solution management appropriate to each growth stage. From the analysis of drainage solution the growth stages of cucumber were desirable to be divided into two, planting to fruit setting and fruit setting to harvest in case of nutrient solution management. The time required was about 3 weeks from planting to the first fruit setting and thereafter 7~10 days more until the first harvest. Approximately every 3~4 days were needed until the upper flowers bloomed. The time required from fruit setting to harvest was not different much among flowers as cucumber plants grew. From the experimental results, EC of supplied solution was recommended to maintain a little high to $3.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ until before fruit setting and lower a little to $2.0{\sim}2.3dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ after that. Of course, the amount of solution supply should be increased as plants grew. In case of each nutrients, the recommendation of concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium were 700, 60, and $110mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ each until before fruit setting, and then 660, 50, and $100mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ each after fruit setting. The concentrations of potassium and magnesium are recommended to start from 400 and $80mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ until fruit setting and lower a little after that.