Nutrient solution in hydroponics is usually covered with the shading material, plate or film. A hydroponic vegetable production system which uses a movable vegetable supporting mechanism for varying the space among vegetables according to the growth stage, called “spacing”, was developed. For easy spacing, it is desirable not to use the shading material on the nutrient solution. Then, the nutrient solution is exposed to the light. There are a number of unclarified points concerned with the effects of the lighted nutrient solution on vegetables growth.
Two experiments were performed. In experiment 1, to observe the effects on vegetables growth, spinach (
Spinacia oleracea) and Senpoh-sai (
Brassica×hybrida) were planted in two hydroponic beds. One bed was covered with the shading plate to keep the nutrient solution dark, and the other bed was not covered to expose the solution to the light. In experiment 2, to investigate hourly changes of the composition of the nutrient solution, the nutrient solution was illuminated with white fluorescent lamps.
The top fresh weight of spinach 17 days after transplanting to the lighted nutrient solution decreased to 36% of the control. The primary cause of vegetable growth inhibition was considered to be iron deficit induced by changing of soluble iron (EDTA-Fe) into insoluble one (FePO
4).
94% of soluble iron in the nutrient solution under the lighting intensity of 240μmol/m
2/sec changed into insoluble iron for 42 hours. When the lighting intensity in the nutrient solution is reduced to 11.8μmol/m
2/sec by shading, the change of soluble iron into insoluble one is controlled at 5% increase per day compared with case of quite dark condition.
These results will provide clues for studying on soluble iron condition of nutrient sterilization using ultra violet lay and tissue culture medium of a transparent vessel.
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