Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level
The production of strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) in hydroponic systems has been increasing. In hydroponic systems, precise nutrient management is crucial for optimal plant growth and fruit production. Among essential elements, potassium (K) is a key nutrient that affects fruit yield and quality i...
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American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)
2025-01-01
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| author | Jonathan Ries Qingwu Meng Yujin Park |
| author_facet | Jonathan Ries Qingwu Meng Yujin Park |
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| description | The production of strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) in hydroponic systems has been increasing. In hydroponic systems, precise nutrient management is crucial for optimal plant growth and fruit production. Among essential elements, potassium (K) is a key nutrient that affects fruit yield and quality in fruiting crops. The objective of this study was to investigate whether increasing the K concentration in the Yamazaki strawberry nutrient solution could enhance plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality in hydroponic strawberries. Bare-root plants of strawberry ‘Monterey’ and ‘San Andreas’ were planted in a deep water culture hydroponic system and grown with initial K concentrations of 117, 194, 271, and 348 mg·L−1 under the same initial nitrogen concentration of 77 mg·L−1. As the K concentration increased from 117 to 348 mg·L−1, the nutrient solution electrical conductivity increased from 1.0 to 1.9 dS·m−1. The experiment was conducted inside an indoor vertical farm at a 23 °C air temperature with an extended photon flux density (400–750 nm) of 350 µmol·m−2·s−1 under an 18-hour photoperiod. Increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 had minimal effects on plant growth characteristics of both cultivars, although root dry mass of ‘Monterey’ increased linearly with increasing K. Increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 did not affect the total fruit number or total fruit fresh mass of ‘Monterey’, but for ‘San Andreas’, it reduced the total fruit number by 34% and total fruit fresh mass by 45%. Additionally, increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 reduced the individual fruit mass, fruit length, and fruit diameter and increased titratable acidity in both cultivars. These results indicate that increasing the K concentration in the Yamazaki strawberry nutrient solution did not benefit plant growth, fruit yield, or fruit quality of the hydroponically grown strawberries ‘Monterey’ or ‘San Andreas’. |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) |
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| spelling | doaj-art-cff26ddc2afc45e8b4faf1302347cf9f2025-01-10T17:58:21ZengAmerican Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)HortScience2327-98342025-01-01602https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI18252-24Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen LevelJonathan Ries0Qingwu Meng1Yujin Park2School of Applied Sciences and Arts, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State UniversityDepartment of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of DelawareSchool of Applied Sciences and Arts, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State UniversityThe production of strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) in hydroponic systems has been increasing. In hydroponic systems, precise nutrient management is crucial for optimal plant growth and fruit production. Among essential elements, potassium (K) is a key nutrient that affects fruit yield and quality in fruiting crops. The objective of this study was to investigate whether increasing the K concentration in the Yamazaki strawberry nutrient solution could enhance plant growth, fruit yield, and fruit quality in hydroponic strawberries. Bare-root plants of strawberry ‘Monterey’ and ‘San Andreas’ were planted in a deep water culture hydroponic system and grown with initial K concentrations of 117, 194, 271, and 348 mg·L−1 under the same initial nitrogen concentration of 77 mg·L−1. As the K concentration increased from 117 to 348 mg·L−1, the nutrient solution electrical conductivity increased from 1.0 to 1.9 dS·m−1. The experiment was conducted inside an indoor vertical farm at a 23 °C air temperature with an extended photon flux density (400–750 nm) of 350 µmol·m−2·s−1 under an 18-hour photoperiod. Increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 had minimal effects on plant growth characteristics of both cultivars, although root dry mass of ‘Monterey’ increased linearly with increasing K. Increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 did not affect the total fruit number or total fruit fresh mass of ‘Monterey’, but for ‘San Andreas’, it reduced the total fruit number by 34% and total fruit fresh mass by 45%. Additionally, increasing the K concentration from 117 to 348 mg·L−1 reduced the individual fruit mass, fruit length, and fruit diameter and increased titratable acidity in both cultivars. These results indicate that increasing the K concentration in the Yamazaki strawberry nutrient solution did not benefit plant growth, fruit yield, or fruit quality of the hydroponically grown strawberries ‘Monterey’ or ‘San Andreas’.https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/60/2/article-p198.xmlcontrolled environment agriculturefruit yieldindoorlight qualityvertical farming |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan Ries Qingwu Meng Yujin Park Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level HortScience controlled environment agriculture fruit yield indoor light quality vertical farming |
| title | Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level |
| title_full | Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level |
| title_fullStr | Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level |
| title_short | Potassium Sulfate Supplementation with Elevated Electrical Conductivity Was Unproductive for Hydroponic Strawberry at the Original Yamazaki Nutrient Solution Nitrogen Level |
| title_sort | potassium sulfate supplementation with elevated electrical conductivity was unproductive for hydroponic strawberry at the original yamazaki nutrient solution nitrogen level |
| topic | controlled environment agriculture fruit yield indoor light quality vertical farming |
| url | https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/60/2/article-p198.xml |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jonathanries potassiumsulfatesupplementationwithelevatedelectricalconductivitywasunproductiveforhydroponicstrawberryattheoriginalyamazakinutrientsolutionnitrogenlevel AT qingwumeng potassiumsulfatesupplementationwithelevatedelectricalconductivitywasunproductiveforhydroponicstrawberryattheoriginalyamazakinutrientsolutionnitrogenlevel AT yujinpark potassiumsulfatesupplementationwithelevatedelectricalconductivitywasunproductiveforhydroponicstrawberryattheoriginalyamazakinutrientsolutionnitrogenlevel |