Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses
Fertigation systems in high-tech greenhouses improve crop performance by optimising water and nutrient use, which is critical for sustainable food production. Electrical conductivity (EC), an indicator of nutrient content in fertigation solutions, reflects the electrolyte concentrations and signific...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000705 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832573053293297664 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonali Jing He Yuanyuan Wang Weiguang Liang Fatemeh Rasouli Lihua Li Jayakumar Bose Michelle Donovan-Mak Samsul Huda Vijay Jayasena Talaat Ahmed David T. Tissue Zhong-Hua Chen |
| author_facet | Sonali Jing He Yuanyuan Wang Weiguang Liang Fatemeh Rasouli Lihua Li Jayakumar Bose Michelle Donovan-Mak Samsul Huda Vijay Jayasena Talaat Ahmed David T. Tissue Zhong-Hua Chen |
| author_sort | Sonali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fertigation systems in high-tech greenhouses improve crop performance by optimising water and nutrient use, which is critical for sustainable food production. Electrical conductivity (EC), an indicator of nutrient content in fertigation solutions, reflects the electrolyte concentrations and significantly influences plant growth and resource use efficiency. This study evaluated the productivity and quality of two cucumber varieties, Lebanese and Continental, grown under three EC levels (1.0, 2.5, and 3.5 dS/m) in high-tech greenhouses. The EC 2.5 fertigation led to the highest cucumber yields, enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality. Key physiological responses, such as net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rates, remained stable across EC levels, while electron transport rates were highest at EC 2.5. Highlighting the potential benefits of maintained fertigation in glasshouse the study revealed that EC 2.5 performed better in maintaining the shelf life of fruits at 2 °C and 7 °C. The study also showed significant differential expression of potassium transporter genes, which correlated with yield and WUE, highlighting the molecular link between fertigation management and plant responses. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the three fertigation levels in Qatar and Australia revealed that the greenhouse cucumber business in Australia can break even in 3–5 years. The highest net present value was recorded in EC 2.5, with Australia achieving 31.3 USD m−2·year−1 and Qatar 13.1 USD m−2·year−1. These findings suggest that optimised fertigation levels could enhance resource sustainability, crop performance, and economic viability in greenhouse cucumber production, particularly in water-scarce and extreme climate regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-093f1ad4b6df46a9adc4bff3c1847f31 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-093f1ad4b6df46a9adc4bff3c1847f312025-02-02T05:29:20ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-03-0119101699Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses Sonali0Jing He1Yuanyuan Wang2Weiguang Liang3Fatemeh Rasouli4Lihua Li5Jayakumar Bose6Michelle Donovan-Mak7Samsul Huda8Vijay Jayasena9Talaat Ahmed10David T. Tissue11Zhong-Hua Chen12School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Corresponding author.School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaNational Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaEnvironmental Science Centre, Qatar University, Doha, QatarHawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Corresponding author.Fertigation systems in high-tech greenhouses improve crop performance by optimising water and nutrient use, which is critical for sustainable food production. Electrical conductivity (EC), an indicator of nutrient content in fertigation solutions, reflects the electrolyte concentrations and significantly influences plant growth and resource use efficiency. This study evaluated the productivity and quality of two cucumber varieties, Lebanese and Continental, grown under three EC levels (1.0, 2.5, and 3.5 dS/m) in high-tech greenhouses. The EC 2.5 fertigation led to the highest cucumber yields, enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality. Key physiological responses, such as net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rates, remained stable across EC levels, while electron transport rates were highest at EC 2.5. Highlighting the potential benefits of maintained fertigation in glasshouse the study revealed that EC 2.5 performed better in maintaining the shelf life of fruits at 2 °C and 7 °C. The study also showed significant differential expression of potassium transporter genes, which correlated with yield and WUE, highlighting the molecular link between fertigation management and plant responses. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the three fertigation levels in Qatar and Australia revealed that the greenhouse cucumber business in Australia can break even in 3–5 years. The highest net present value was recorded in EC 2.5, with Australia achieving 31.3 USD m−2·year−1 and Qatar 13.1 USD m−2·year−1. These findings suggest that optimised fertigation levels could enhance resource sustainability, crop performance, and economic viability in greenhouse cucumber production, particularly in water-scarce and extreme climate regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000705Electrical conductivityPost-harvestPhotosynthesisCost-benefit analysisMineral nutrientsSustainable food production |
| spellingShingle | Sonali Jing He Yuanyuan Wang Weiguang Liang Fatemeh Rasouli Lihua Li Jayakumar Bose Michelle Donovan-Mak Samsul Huda Vijay Jayasena Talaat Ahmed David T. Tissue Zhong-Hua Chen Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Electrical conductivity Post-harvest Photosynthesis Cost-benefit analysis Mineral nutrients Sustainable food production |
| title | Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses |
| title_full | Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses |
| title_fullStr | Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses |
| title_short | Optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high-tech greenhouses |
| title_sort | optimised fertigation improves yield and quality of cucumbers for resource efficiency and economic return in high tech greenhouses |
| topic | Electrical conductivity Post-harvest Photosynthesis Cost-benefit analysis Mineral nutrients Sustainable food production |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325000705 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonali optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT jinghe optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT yuanyuanwang optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT weiguangliang optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT fatemehrasouli optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT lihuali optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT jayakumarbose optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT michelledonovanmak optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT samsulhuda optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT vijayjayasena optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT talaatahmed optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT davidttissue optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses AT zhonghuachen optimisedfertigationimprovesyieldandqualityofcucumbersforresourceefficiencyandeconomicreturninhightechgreenhouses |