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Industrial Level Adaptation of Newly Prepared Hydroponic Solution Compared to Alberts Solution
By Admin | May 31, 2009
A field survey and an industrial level adaptation test was conducted in Beralapanathara green house system (Urubokka, Matara district) from April to July in 2008. Data were collected from 13 respondents via pre- tested questionnaire for the survey. Results revealed that both Bell pepper and Cucumber are grown by farmers by adapting different potting media and nutrient solutions. For the industrial level adaptation experiment, the new nutrient solution was tested compared to Alberts solution.
Experiment was conducted with Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) variety Efdal (F1 hybrid), where two treatments with 11 replicates kept at Randomized Complete Block Design. Nutrient solutions were supplied manually by considering the nutrient requirement at the respective development stage of the plants. During the research period environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity, light intensity in outside environment as well as inside the protected house), solution parameters (solution consumption, solution EC and pH), plant parameters (plant height, number of leaves, number of fruits and total yield), fruit quality parameters (water, dry matter, protein, ash and vitamin C), post harvest time duration of fruits were recorded and analyzed.
The temperature variations, relative humidity and light intensity conditions that prevailed within the protected house in Beralapanathara area, provide optimum conditions for cucumber growth. The result revealed that slicing Cucumber variety Efdal (F1 hybrid) can be successfully grown in Beralapanathara green house system with both Alberts solution as well as the new solution. When Cucumber variety Efdal was grown in the new solution, number of fruits per plant was increased by 48.2 % compared to Alberts solution, however the yield increment was only 5.1 % due to the high EC in the rooting medium. Fruits in the new solution were rich in vitamin C by 23.2 % compared to Alberts solution. Shoot formation as well as root formation were higher in the new solution compared to Alberts solution.
Cost incurred in production of 1 kg of slicing Cucumber from Alberts solution is Rs 25.05 and that is only Rs 8.52 for the new nutrient solution; cost reduction involve in production of 1 kg from the new nutrient solution is Rs 16.53, which leads to increase the net return by 22.10 % compared to Alberts solution.
M Inoka Wickramasinghe1, K D N Weerasinghe1 and Janitha A Liyanage2
1Department of Agric. Engineering, University of Ruhuna,
2Department of Chemistry, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Topics: symposium2008 | 5 Comments »
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I am a cucumber grower & using EFDAL seeds with albert solution as a fertilizer. I would like to know more detail about the new solution.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:32 am
We are very much impressed about this hydroponic Growing. We would like to know more detail about the new solution and we need to start this growing in industrial level.
March 26th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
What is this new solution?
July 17th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I would like to know the composition of Albert solution and the composition of the new solution so that I can compare them.
July 17th, 2010 at 11:34 am
If I know the composition, I can use them both and see the results myself.