Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant

Greenhouse horticulture, a sustainable alternative to conventional horticulture, maximises resource use and return for vegetable production. This study evaluated the impact of varying nutrient solution electrical conductivity (EC) levels (EC 1.8, 2.8, and 3.8) on eggplant cultivars (Solanum melongen...

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Main Author: Md Mazadul, Islam (author)
Other Authors: He, Jing (author), Yong, Miingtiem (author), Babla, Mohammad (author), Liang, Weiguang (author), Li, Li (author), Bose, Jayakumar (author), Donovan-Mak, Michelle (author), Huda, Samsul (author), Tissue, David (author), Ahmed, Talaat (author), Chen, Zhong-Hua (author)
Format: article
Published: 2024
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113097
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423824002565
http://hdl.handle.net/10576/56572
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author Md Mazadul, Islam
author2 He, Jing
Yong, Miingtiem
Babla, Mohammad
Liang, Weiguang
Li, Li
Bose, Jayakumar
Donovan-Mak, Michelle
Huda, Samsul
Tissue, David
Ahmed, Talaat
Chen, Zhong-Hua
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Md Mazadul, Islam
He, Jing
Yong, Miingtiem
Babla, Mohammad
Liang, Weiguang
Li, Li
Bose, Jayakumar
Donovan-Mak, Michelle
Huda, Samsul
Tissue, David
Ahmed, Talaat
Chen, Zhong-Hua
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Md Mazadul, Islam
He, Jing
Yong, Miingtiem
Babla, Mohammad
Liang, Weiguang
Li, Li
Bose, Jayakumar
Donovan-Mak, Michelle
Huda, Samsul
Tissue, David
Ahmed, Talaat
Chen, Zhong-Hua
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2024-07-10T09:30:05Z
2024-05-01
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113097
Islam, M. M., He, J., Yong, M., Babla, M., Liang, W., Li, L., ... & Chen, Z. H. (2024). Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant. Scientia Horticulturae, 331, 113097.
0304-4238
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423824002565
http://hdl.handle.net/10576/56572
331
1879-1018
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Electrical conductivity
Greenhouse horticulture
Cost-benefit analysis
Nutrient solution
Sustainable food production
Farm profitability
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description Greenhouse horticulture, a sustainable alternative to conventional horticulture, maximises resource use and return for vegetable production. This study evaluated the impact of varying nutrient solution electrical conductivity (EC) levels (EC 1.8, 2.8, and 3.8) on eggplant cultivars (Solanum melongena L. cv. Lydia, and Tracey) performance and economic viability in high-tech glasshouses. We found that morphological traits such as plant height and leaf number were consistent across EC levels, while fruit weight, length, and width are significantly higher at the lowest EC (1.8). Photosynthetic rates increased significantly with rising EC levels, while other gas exchange parameters such as stomatal conductance, intrinsic water use efficiency, and vapour pressure deficit were similar for all EC levels tested. Yield analysis revealed a negative correlation between eggplant yield and increasing EC levels, with optimal yields in both eggplant varieties (0.81 and 1.14 kg m−2 week−1 in Lydia and Tracey, respectively) achieved at the lowest EC. Economic analysis highlighted that lower EC levels lead to lower operational costs and higher net profit values (NPV). Sensitivity analysis underscored the importance of wholesale price and crop yield in determining NPV, with lower EC levels offering a shorter payback period of approximately 6 years in Australia and China and higher economic returns. The study highlights the significance of optimizing EC levels for achieving more resource-sustainable and profitable eggplant production in greenhouses.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
format article
id qu_c02f1808c1c75a0070ef94c421c55c47
identifier_str_mv Islam, M. M., He, J., Yong, M., Babla, M., Liang, W., Li, L., ... & Chen, Z. H. (2024). Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant. Scientia Horticulturae, 331, 113097.
0304-4238
331
1879-1018
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str qu
network_name_str Qatar University repository
oai_identifier_str oai:qspace.qu.edu.qa:10576/56572
publishDate 2024
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
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rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
spelling Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplantMd Mazadul, IslamHe, JingYong, MiingtiemBabla, MohammadLiang, WeiguangLi, LiBose, JayakumarDonovan-Mak, MichelleHuda, SamsulTissue, DavidAhmed, TalaatChen, Zhong-HuaElectrical conductivityGreenhouse horticultureCost-benefit analysisNutrient solutionSustainable food productionFarm profitabilityGreenhouse horticulture, a sustainable alternative to conventional horticulture, maximises resource use and return for vegetable production. This study evaluated the impact of varying nutrient solution electrical conductivity (EC) levels (EC 1.8, 2.8, and 3.8) on eggplant cultivars (Solanum melongena L. cv. Lydia, and Tracey) performance and economic viability in high-tech glasshouses. We found that morphological traits such as plant height and leaf number were consistent across EC levels, while fruit weight, length, and width are significantly higher at the lowest EC (1.8). Photosynthetic rates increased significantly with rising EC levels, while other gas exchange parameters such as stomatal conductance, intrinsic water use efficiency, and vapour pressure deficit were similar for all EC levels tested. Yield analysis revealed a negative correlation between eggplant yield and increasing EC levels, with optimal yields in both eggplant varieties (0.81 and 1.14 kg m−2 week−1 in Lydia and Tracey, respectively) achieved at the lowest EC. Economic analysis highlighted that lower EC levels lead to lower operational costs and higher net profit values (NPV). Sensitivity analysis underscored the importance of wholesale price and crop yield in determining NPV, with lower EC levels offering a shorter payback period of approximately 6 years in Australia and China and higher economic returns. The study highlights the significance of optimizing EC levels for achieving more resource-sustainable and profitable eggplant production in greenhouses.The project was supported by Hort Innovation (VG17003; LP18000), CRC Future Food Systems (P2-016, P2-018), and MME grant MME01-0826-190018 from the Qatar National Research Fund. ZHC is funded by the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT210100366). JB is funded by the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT210100498).Elsevier2024-07-10T09:30:05Z2024-05-01Articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113097Islam, M. M., He, J., Yong, M., Babla, M., Liang, W., Li, L., ... & Chen, Z. H. (2024). Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant. Scientia Horticulturae, 331, 113097.0304-4238https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423824002565http://hdl.handle.net/10576/565723311879-1018enhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:qspace.qu.edu.qa:10576/565722024-07-23T10:58:51Z
spellingShingle Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
Md Mazadul, Islam
Electrical conductivity
Greenhouse horticulture
Cost-benefit analysis
Nutrient solution
Sustainable food production
Farm profitability
status_str publishedVersion
title Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
title_full Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
title_fullStr Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
title_full_unstemmed Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
title_short Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
title_sort Reduced fertigation input sustains yield and physiological performance for improved economic returns and cleaner production of greenhouse eggplant
topic Electrical conductivity
Greenhouse horticulture
Cost-benefit analysis
Nutrient solution
Sustainable food production
Farm profitability
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113097
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423824002565
http://hdl.handle.net/10576/56572