[EBOOK] EVALUATION OF TWO NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS FOR GROWING TOMATOES IN A NON-CIRCULATING HYDROPONICS SYSTEM, ABRAR HUSSAIN SHAH, SHAMS UL MUNIR, NOOR-UL-AMIN AND SAFDAR HUSSAIN SHAH

Since the cities and urban centres are fastly expanding, the productive lands are shrinking due to the establishment of new towns, residential colonies, educational campuses, hospitals, industries ,roadways and civic facilities etc .It has been estimated that by the year 2030 the population ratio of rural : urban would become 10%: 90% (Abid, 2009). The need of restructuring agriculture sector has been felt seriously to feed the demographically increasing population in our country/province. This could be achieved either through increasing our food production by bringing more and more area under cultivation or through the use of present day improved agricultural technologies (Abid, 2009). The non-circulating hydroponics technology is surely one of the options for growing fresh vegetables for home consumption by the city dwellers (Imai, 1987 and Kratky, 2000). Although the hydroponics technology in the developed world has gone much ahead, however, it is not too late to start the use of this technology, which does not involve much of the initial investment and could be considered as a method of suspended pots in a nutrient solution container for growing fresh vegetables The entire crop could be grown in a nutrients solution container with a single filling and every one can practice this technique with little care to produce fresh vegetables in his court yard, veranda or on a roof top with out using soil as a growing medium ( Imai, 1987 and Kratky, 2002).

Tsay et al. (1987) evaluated the growth and yield of certain vegetables including tomato in an urban home garden unit of a non- circulating hydroponics system. Their set up included polystyrene containers of size 25 cm (H) x 54 cm (L) x 34 cm (W) for nutrients solution with polystyrene lid cover. Small plastic net bottom pots of 6.5 cm diameter and 7.5 cm height containing the support medium for plants (smoked rice hull) were fixed in the lid of the container. They planted tomatoes in late Oct with growth duration of 167 days and harvested 5.90 kg of tomatoes (box-115 net bottom pots box-1) in a number of harvests.

The information provided by Asian Vegetables Research and Development Centre (AVRDC) (1986) indicated that they harvested 3.1 kg of large fruited tomatoes plant-1 in summer having the average fruit weight of 150 g and the maximum 200g. Similarly (Imai, 1987) experienced that tomato cultivation in a non-circulating hydroponics system was far more difficult than cucumbers and melons. In summer 1986 he obtained a yield of 3 kg of tomatoes plant-1 with an average fruit weight of 130 g and the largest fruit exceeded 200 g. Like wise, Kratky et al. (1988) also produced tomatoes in a non-circulating hydroponics system. They used polyethylene lined earthen troughs (0.4 m deep x 0.4 m wide) filled with nutrients solution (unto 30 mm of the top of the container) containing N as NO3 173 mg L-1, P 63 mg L-1, K 213mg L-1,Ca 210mg L-1 , Mg 47 mg L-1, Fe 3 mg L1, Mn 1.1mg L-1 ,Cu 0.2 mg L-1, Zn 0.4 mg L-1 B 0.5 mg L-1, and Mo 0.1 mg L-1 They obtained 3.5 kg of saleable tomatoes plant -1 during Dec-Jan as compared to 3.1 kg plant-1 obtained in the soil beds. They further stated that although this non-circulating hydroponics system requires neither mechanical aeration nor circulation of nutrients solution, it offers a simple and inexpensive system with a wide spread acceptance in intensive agricultural systems having yields similar to those obtained from soil beds. While, comparing the results of various vegetables produced in hydroponics (broken brick hydroponicums), with soil grown (control) plants including tomato. Akhtar-Jehan et al. (1994) reported that the control plants were taller (115.3 cm) than the hydroponically grown ones (108.96cm), the number of branches were also more (8.00) than hydroponically grown ones (6.83). However, the number (38.83) , size/circumference (16.83cm) and weight of fruits (57.68g), the number of leaves plant -1 (19.50) as well as the total yields in hydroponically grown plants were 1.25 times more than the soil grown control plants.

Cedra et al. (1984) reported the negative effects of high sulphate concentrations on growth/ development of tomato plant, its leaves and stems. Bovine (1990) also worked on the accumulation of some mineral elements especially the sulphates their co-absorption/transport in plants and recommended adjustments made. Likewise, Baars (1992) mentioned that besides sulphates, chlorides and bicarbonates also have the tendency to accumulate and influence crop/plant growth.

While, Zekki et al. (1996) noticed reduction in fresh weight, dry weight as well as yield (marketable yield 3.86 kg plant-1 with average fruit weight of 172.5 g plant-1) due to prolong nutrients recycling in Nutrients Film technique (NFT). Similarly, Tuzel et al. (2000) evaluated the closed and open hydroponics systems and noticed variations in tomato yield and water/nutrients consumption in spring and autumn seasons. Similarly, Gul et al. (2000) compared the results of continuous and intermittent solution circulation on tomato growth and yield in NFT hydroponics and did not show much difference in fruit grade and quality parameters in both the systems. Likewise, Kratky (2005) also grew tomatoes in quite similar as well as different kind’s hydroponics systems including the non circulating hydroponics system. Similarly, Kratky (2005) also devised a non-circulating hydroponics system for growing tomatoes. Whereas, Kao (2005) developed and evaluated the dynamic root floating (DRF) hydroponic technique, in which he obtained a yield of 2.7 kg tomatoes panel-1. The cost economics of simplified hydroponics tomato bed grower of 2m-2 has been calculated by Bradley and Marulanda (2000) as cost US$ 2.84 and US$ 10.06 as net return.

In the present study an attempt has been made to compare two nutrient solution recipes/ formulations for their efficacy with a view to evaluate and promote the technology of non-circulating hydroponics for growing various vegetables including tomatoes in the cemented houses (of the city dwellers/ urban people) with out using soil.

[EBOOK] EVALUATION OF TWO NUTRIENT SOLUTIONS FOR GROWING TOMATOES IN A NON-CIRCULATING HYDROPONICS SYSTEM, ABRAR HUSSAIN SHAH, SHAMS UL MUNIR, NOOR-UL-AMIN AND SAFDAR HUSSAIN SHAH

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