Download or read book Nutrients Recycling in Hydroponics Opportunities and Challenges toward Sustainable Crop Production under Controlled Environment Agriculture written by Toshiki Asao and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-04-05 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Soil Management written by Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2023-10-16 with total page 532 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enables readers to strengthen existing agricultural strategies to sustainably solve contemporary problems like food supply chain gaps and food scarcity Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Soil Management explains strategies to check the deterioration of soil quality, irrigation water quality, reuse of wastewaters in agriculture after treatment, organic fertigation, and corporate fertigation, to transform current agriculture into sustainable agriculture, and demonstrates cost effective technologies for sustainable development of site-specific ecosystems. Techniques to eradicate malnutrition, such as enhanced biofortification, are also covered. Sample topics covered in Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Soil Management include: Foremost developments in the restoration and utilization of degraded lands through organic farming, precision agriculture, climate-resilient fodder/forage cultivation, and livestock management Promotion of agro-forestry-based apiculture, silviculture, and sericulture, and corporate fertigation, and reclaiming urban brownfields & industrial areas Development of diverse products, including biofuel, fiber, fodder, timber, and herbal products leading to the generation of social capitals Ecology of intercropping systems, tree-cover dynamics of grazing lands, and cover crops for soil management Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Soil Management is a comprehensive and authoritative resource on the subject, making it a must-have resource for scientists working in agrobiodiversity, agroecology, bioscience, restoration ecology, soil science, and sustainable science, along with postgraduate students in ecology, environmental sciences, and environmental economics.

Download or read book Aquaponics Food Production Systems written by Simon Goddek and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-21 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book, written by world experts in aquaponics and related technologies, provides the authoritative and comprehensive overview of the key aquaculture and hydroponic and other integrated systems, socio-economic and environmental aspects. Aquaponic systems, which combine aquaculture and vegetable food production offer alternative technology solutions for a world that is increasingly under stress through population growth, urbanisation, water shortages, land and soil degradation, environmental pollution, world hunger and climate change.

Download or read book Hydroponics written by Toshiki Asao and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-03-23 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydroponics-A standard methodology for plant biological researches provides useful information on the requirements and techniques needs to be considered in order to grow crops successfully in hydroponics. The main focuses of this book are preparation of hydroponic nutrient solution, use of this technique for studying biological aspects and environmental controls, and production of vegetables and ornamentals hydroponically. The first chapter of this book takes a general description of nutrient solution used for hydroponics followed by an outline of in vitro hydroponic culture system for vegetables. Detailed descriptions on use of hydroponics in the context of scientific research into plants responses and tolerance to abiotic stresses and on the problems associated with the reuse of culture solution and means to overcome it are included. Some chapters provides information on the role of hydroponic technique in studying plant-microbe-environment interaction and in various aspects of plant biological research, and also understanding of root uptake of nutrients and thereof role of hydroponics in environmental clean-up of toxic and polluting agents. The last two chapters outlined the hydroponic production of cactus and fruit tree seedlings. Leading research works from around the world are brought together in this book to produce a valuable source of reference for teachers, researcher, and advanced students of biological science and crop production.

Download or read book Closing nutrient cycles written by Usman Akram and published by Linköping University Electronic Press. This book was released on 2020-08-20 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adequate and balanced crop nutrition – with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) – is vital for sustainable crop production. Inadequate and imbalanced crop nutrition contributes to the crop yield gaps – a difference in actual and potential crop yield. Yield gap is one of the many causes of insufficient food production, thus aggravating hunger and malnourishment across the globe. On the other hand, an oversupply of nutrients is highly unsustainable, in terms of both resource conservation and global environmental health. A decreasing excreta recycling in crop production is one of the many reasons for nutrient imbalances in agriculture. Previous studies show that increasing agricultural specialization leads to spatial separation of crop and animal production. Increasing distance between excreta production and crop needs is one of the leading factors that cause reduced excreta recycling. Studies focusing on excreta recycling show that a substantial barrier to a more efficient excreta nutrient reuse is the expensive transportation of bulky volumes of excreta over long distances. In order to overcome that barrier, more detailed spatial estimates of distances between excreta production and crop nutrient needs, and the associated costs for complete excreta transport in an entire country are needed. Hence, the overall aim of this thesis was to quantify the amount of nutrients in the excreta resources compared to the crop nutrient needs at multiple scales (global, national, subnational, and local), and to analyze the need for excreta transports, total distances and costs, to meet the crop nutrient needs in a country. On the global scale, annual (2000-2016) excreta supply (livestock and human) could provide at least 48% of N, 57% of P, and 81% of K crop needs. Although excreta supply was not enough to cover the annual crop nutrient needs at the global scale, at least 29 countries for N, 41 for P, and 71 for K had an excreta nutrient surplus. When including the annual use of synthetic fertilizers, at least 42 additional countries had a N surplus, with the equivalent figures for P being 17 countries, whereas 8 additional countries attained a K surplus. At the same time, when accounting for the use of synthetic fertilizers, each year, at least 57 countries had an N deficit, 70 a P deficit, and 51 countries a K deficit, in total equivalent to 14% of global N and 16% of each P and K crop needs. The total surplus in other countries during the period was always higher than the deficit in the countries with net nutrient deficits, except for P for some years. Unfortunately, both the deficits of the deficit countries and surpluses of the surplus countries were increasing substantially during the 17 years. Such global divergence in nutrient deficits and surpluses have clear implications for global food security and environmental health. A district-scale investigation of Pakistan showed that the country had a national deficit of 0.62 million tons of P and 0.59 million tons of K, but an oversupply of N. The spatial separation was not significant at this resolution; only 6% of the excreta N supply needed to be transported between districts. Recycling all excreta, within and between districts, could cut the use of synthetic N to 43% of its current use and eliminate the need for synthetic K, but there would be an additional need of 0.28 million tons of synthetic P to meet the crop nutrient needs in the entire country. The need for synthetic fertilizers to supplement the recycled excreta nutrients would cost USD 2.77 billion. However, it might not be prohibitively expensive to correct for P deficiencies because of the savings on the costs of synthetic N, and K. Excreta recycling could promote balanced crop nutrition at the national scale in Pakistan, which in turn could eliminate the nutrient-related crop yield gaps in the country. The municipal-scale investigation using Swedish data showed that the country had a national oversupply of 110,000 tons of N, 6,000 tons of P, and 76,000 tons of K. Excreta could provide up to 75% of N and 81% of P, and more than 100% of the K crop needs in the country. The spatial separation was pronounced at the municipal scale in the country. Just 40% of the municipalities produced over 50% of the excreta N and P. Nutrient balance calculations showed that excreta recycling within municipalities could provide 63% of the P crop needs. Another 18% of the P crop needs must be transported from surplus municipalities to deficit municipalities. Nationally, an optimized reallocation of surplus excreta P towards the P deficit municipalities would cost USD 192 million for a total of 24,079 km truck transports. The cost was 3.7 times more than the total NPK fertilizer value transported, and that met the crop nutrient needs. It was concluded that Sweden could potentially reduce its dependence on synthetic fertilizers, but to cover the costs of an improved excreta reuse would require valuing the additional benefits of recycling. An investigation was also done to understand the effect of the input data resolution on the results (transport needs and distances) from a model to optimize excreta redistribution. The results showed that the need for excreta transports, distances, and spatial patterns of the excreta transports changed. Increasing resolution of the spatial data, from political boundaries in Sweden and Pakistan to 0.083 decimal grids (approximately 10 km by 10 km at the equator), showed that transport needs for excreta-N increased by 12% in Pakistan, and the transport needs for excreta-P increased by 14% in Sweden. The effect of the increased resolution on transport analysis showed inconsistency in terms of the excreta total nutrient transportation distance; the average distance decreased by 67% (to 44 km) in Pakistan but increased by 1 km in Sweden. A further increase in the data resolution to 5 km by 5 km grids for Sweden showed that the average transportation distance decreased by 9 km. In both countries, increasing input data resolution resulted in a more favorable cost to fertilizer value ratios. In Pakistan, the cost of transport was only 13% of the NPK fertilizer value transported at a higher resolution. In Sweden, the costs decreased from 3.7 (at the political resolution) to slightly higher than three times of the fertilizer value transported in excreta at the higher data resolution. This Ph.D. thesis shows that we could potentially reduce the total use of synthetic fertilizers in the world and still reduce the yield gaps if we can create a more efficient recycling of nutrients both within and between countries, and a more demand adapted use of synthetic fertilizers. Livsmedelsproduktion är grunden för vårt samhälle idag och för den utveckling som skett det senaste århundrandet. Idag är vi åtta miljarder människor i världen med en produktion och handel med livsmedel, där knappt en miljard lever under hunger och svält. Inom de närmaste decennierna förväntas världens befolkning fortsätta växa och stanna av på omkring 11 till 12 miljarder människor under senare hälften av 2000-talet. För att klara livsmedelsförsörjningen bättre idag, och ännu mer så i framtiden, krävs att vi hittar former för att återföra skördade näringsämnen, som fosfor, kväve och kalium, tillbaka till åkermarken. Många av dessa näringsämnen är ändliga resurser som dessutom bidrar till övergödning om de läcker ut till andra habitat. I dag återfinns det mesta av dessa näringsämnen i gödsel, mänsklig exkreta och rötslam från avloppsreningsverk. Avhandlingen har studerat förutsättningarna för att sluta en större del av näringsämnens cykler i Sverige och Pakistan genom återföring av gödsel och mänsklig exkreta till jordbruksmark, samt utifrån detta även dragit slutsatser om de globala förutsättningar och effekterna av att sluta kretslopp för näringsämnen. Effekterna av att förbättra återförsel av näringsämnen till åkermark innefattar en minskad belastning i miljön som resultat av minskad användning av handelsgödsel, minskad användning av energi för produktion av handelsgödsel, samt framför allt ökade möjligheter för en långsiktigt hållbar hög skörd på åkerarealen. Det finns dock energikostnader vid återförsel av näringsämnen till följd av många och tunga transporter. Avhandlingen har därför analyserat transportkostnader för effektiv återvinning av näringsämnen från djurhållning och mänsklig exkreta och hur stor del av gödselbehovet som kan täckas av dessa återförda näringsämnen. Speciellt har avhandlingen också studerat hur viktigt det är att ta hänsyn till i vilken skala man skall studera problemet, dvs om det är data på gödselbehov och tillgång som är lokala - ända ner på enskilda fält och gårdar - regionala eller nationella som man skall utgå från när man söker efter effektiva lösningar för att sluta näringsämnes cykler. Resultaten visar att större delen av gödselbehovet i både Pakistan och Sverige kan täckas genom återvinning av stallgödsel och mänsklig exkreta. I Sverige kan 81% av fosforbehovet täckas på det viset. Transporterna sker i första hand inom kommuner, 63% av behovet, medan de resterande 18% av behovet som kan täckas kräver transporter som är längre och sker mellan kommuner. Kostnaden för transporterna är däremot höga och motsvarar mer än tre gånger kostnaden för motsvarande handelsgödsel. I Pakistan är kostnadsbilden annorlunda, bl.a. eftersom lönekostnaderna är lägre och handelsgödsel är dyrare än i Sverige. Avhandlingen visar att kostnaden för transporter av gödsel i Pakistan skulle motsvara enbart 13% av kostnaden för motsvarande mängd handelsgödsel. Det mesta av återförandet av näringsämnen sker inom distrikt, till exempel är det bara 6% av kvävebehovet som behöver täckas av transporter utanför distrikten. Pakistans handelsgödselanvändning, och därmed kostnad för detta, skulle vid en effektiv återvinning av näringsämnen kunna reduceras ned till 43% av dagens kostnader för kvävegödsel, för fosfor behövs det 0.28 miljoner ton och behovet av kaliumgödsling skulle helt försvinna. Det krävs därmed handelsgödsel motsvarande 2.77 miljarder USD, vilket till del skulle kunna kompenseras av minskade totala kostnader för kväve- och kaliumgödsel. En sådan återföring av näringsämnen i Pakistan skulle också medföra en högre gödseltillförsel till jordbruket och därmed en möjlighet att reducera skördegapet i landet. Skördegapet i Pakistan är betydande med veteskördar kring 25–30% av de möjliga, och dessa skördegap anses bero just på för små gödselgivor. Pakistan har också tydliga problem med livsmedelsförsörjning på grund av dagens skördegap med 20% av en befolkning på 200 miljoner som är undernärda. För Sveriges del är produktionen och avkastningen per areal till följd av gödsling redan hög. En mer effektiv återförsel av näringsämnen i Sverige skulle därför i första hand bidra till att minska användning av handelsgödsel och därmed begränsa användning av ändliga resurser som fosfor. Analyserna i avhandlingen visar till exempel att i Sverige skulle användning av fosfor som handelsgödsel kunna minska med 67% om återförsel av stallgödsel och mänsklig exkreta effektiviserades. Analyser av globala data för år 2000 – 2016 visar att den årliga tillgången på näring i gödsel (från djur och människor) motsvarar minst 48% av grödornas N behov, 57% av P behovet och 81% av K behovet. Även om den total mängden näring i stallgödsel och mänsklig exkreta inte räcker för att täcka det årliga globala behovet av näring, så visar data på ett överskott på N i minst 29 länder, ett överskott på P i minst 41 länder och 71 länder har ett K-överskott i stallgödsel och exkreta. Om man dessutom räknar in användningen av handelsgödsel blir det ytterligare 42 länder som har överskott på N, 17 länder till med P-överskott och 8 ytterligare med K-överskott. En stor del av resterande länder har ett underskott av näringsämnen (när man summerar gödsel, mänsklig exkreta och handelsgödsel), 57 länder har brist på N, 70 länder behöver mer P och 51 har brist på K i sitt jordbruk, och har därmed lägre skördar än möjligt. Det totala överskottet av näringsämnen i de andra länderna under denna period motsvarar dock rätt väl den brist som länder med underskott uppvisar. Tyvärr är trenden den att de länder som visade på överskott av näringsämnen år 2000 har sammantaget tydligt ökat på överskottet till 2016, medan även underskotten har ökat i flera av länderna med bristande tillförsel av N, P eller K. Sådana globala obalanser har tydliga implikationer för den framtida matförsörjningen och för miljön. Avhandlingen visar att vi idag skulle kunna använda mindre handelsgödsel totalt i världen, och ändå reducera de skördegap som finns, om vi skapar en effektiv återförsel av näringsämnen såväl inom som mellan länder och ett mer behovsanpassat användande av handelsgödsel.

Download or read book Innovations as Key to the Green Revolution in Africa written by Andre Bationo and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 1339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa can achieve self sufficiency in food production through adoption of innovations in the agriculture sector. Numerous soil fertility and crop production technologies have been generated through research, however, wide adoption has been low. African farmers need better technologies, more sustainable practices, and fertilizers to improve and sustain their crop productivity and to prevent further degradation of agricultural lands. The agricultural sector also needs to be supported by functional institutions and policies that will be able to respond to emerging challenges of globalization and climate change.

Download or read book The Vertical Farm written by Dickson Despommier and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2010-10-12 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The vertical farm is a world-changing innovation whose time has come. Dickson Despommier's visionary book provides a blueprint for securing the world's food supply and at the same time solving one of the gravest environmental crises facing us today."--Sting Imagine a world where every town has their own local food source, grown in the safest way possible, where no drop of water or particle of light is wasted, and where a simple elevator ride can transport you to nature's grocery store - imagine the world of the vertical farm. When Columbia professor Dickson Despommier set out to solve America's food, water, and energy crises, he didn't just think big - he thought up. Despommier's stroke of genius, the vertical farm, has excited scientists, architects, and politicians around the globe. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Despommier explains how the vertical farm will have an incredible impact on changing the face of this planet for future generations. Despommier takes readers on an incredible journey inside the vertical farm, buildings filled with fruits and vegetables that will provide local food sources for entire cities. Vertical farms will allow us to: - Grow food 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - Protect crops from unpredictable and harmful weather - Re-use water collected from the indoor environment - Provide jobs for residents - Eliminate use of pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides - Drastically reduce dependence on fossil fuels - Prevent crop loss due to shipping or storage - Stop agricultural runoff Vertical farms can be built in abandoned buildings and on deserted lots, transforming our cities into urban landscapes which will provide fresh food grown and harvested just around the corner. Possibly the most important aspect of vertical farms is that they can built by nations with little or no arable land, transforming nations which are currently unable to farm into top food producers. In the tradition of the bestselling The World Without Us, The Vertical Farm is a completely original landmark work destined to become an instant classic.

Download or read book Save and Grow written by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2018-06-22 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book offers a rich toolkit of relevant, adoptable ecosystem-based practices that can help the world's 500 million smallholder farm families achieve higher productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency while enhancing natural capital.

Download or read book Toward a Sustainable Agriculture Through Plant Biostimulants written by Youssef Rouphael and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-02-22 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past decade, interest in plant biostimulants has been on the rise, compelled by the growing interest of researchers, extension specialists, private industries, and farmers in integrating these products in the array of environmentally friendly tools to secure improved crop performance, nutrient efficiency, product quality, and yield stability. Plant biostimulants include diverse organic and inorganic substances, natural compounds, and/or beneficial microorganisms such as humic acids, protein hydrolysates, seaweed and plant extracts, silicon, endophytic fungi like mycorrhizal fungi, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria belonging to the genera Azospirillum, Azotobacter, and Rhizobium. Other substances (e.g., chitosan and other biopolymers and inorganic compounds) can have biostimulant properties, but their classification within the group of biostimulants is still under consideration. Plant biostimulants are usually applied to high-value crops, mainly greenhouse crops, fruit trees and vines, open-field crops, flowers, and ornamentals to sustainably increase yield and product quality. The global biostimulant market is currently estimated at about $2.0 billion and is expected to reach $3.0 billion by 2021 at an annual growth rate of 13%. A growing interest in plant biostimulants from industries and scientists was demonstrated by the high number of published peer-reviewed articles, conferences, workshops, and symposia in the past ten years. This book compiles several original research articles, technology reports, methods, opinions, perspectives, and invited reviews and mini reviews dissecting the biostimulatory action of these natural compounds and substances and beneficial microorganisms on crops grown under optimal and suboptimal growing conditions (e.g., salinity, drought, nutrient deficiency and toxicity, heavy metal contaminations, waterlogging, and adverse soil pH conditions). Also included are contributions dealing with the effect as well as the molecular and physiological mechanisms of plant biostimulants on nutrient efficiency, product quality, and modulation of the microbial population both quantitatively and qualitatively. In addition, identification and understanding of the optimal method, time, rate of application and phenological stage for improving plant performance and resilience to stress as well as the best combinations of plant species/cultivar × environment × management practices are also reported. We strongly believe that high standard reflected in this compilation on the principles and practices of plant biostimulants will foster knowledge transfer among scientific communities, industries, and agronomists, and will enable a better understanding of the mode of action and application procedures of biostimulants in different cropping systems.

Download or read book Soilless Culture Theory and Practice written by Michael Raviv and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2007-12-27 with total page 625 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plant production in hydroponics and soilless culture is rapidly expanding throughout the world, raising a great interest in the scientific community. For the first time in an authoritative reference book, authors cover both theoretical and practical aspects of hydroponics (growing plants without the use of soil). This reference book covers the state-of-the-art in this area, while offering a clear view of supplying plants with nutrients other than soil. Soilless Culture provides the reader with an understanding of the properties of the various soiless media and how these properties affect plant performance in relation to basic horticultural operations, such as irrigation and fertilization. This book is ideal for agronomists, horticulturalists, greenhouse and nursery managers, extension specialists, and people involved with the production of plants.* Comprehensive discussion of hydroponic systems, irrigation, and control measures allows readers to achieve optimal performance* State-of-the-art book on all theoretical aspects of hydroponics and soilless culture including a thorough description of the root system, its functions and limitation posed by restricted root volume* Critical and updated reviews of current analytical methods and how to translate their results to irrigation and fertilization practices * Definitive chapters on recycled, no-discharge systems including salinity and nutrition management and pathogen eradication * Up-to-date description of all important types of growing media

Download or read book Fertigation Frequency and Nutrient Uptake by Plants written by Avner Silber and published by . This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Plant Tissue Culture Engineering written by S. Dutta Gupta and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-07-10 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is my privilege to contribute the foreword for this unique volume entitled: “Plant Tissue Culture Engineering,” edited by S. Dutta Gupta and Y. Ibaraki. While there have been a number of volumes published regarding the basic methods and applications of plant tissue and cell culture technologies, and even considerable attention provided to bioreactor design, relatively little attention has been afforded to the engineering principles that have emerged as critical contributions to the commercial applications of plant biotechnologies. This volume, “Plant Tissue Culture Engineering,” signals a turning point: the recognition that this specialized field of plant science must be integrated with engineering principles in order to develop efficient, cost effective, and large scale applications of these technologies. I am most impressed with the organization of this volume, and the extensive list of chapters contributed by expert authors from around the world who are leading the emergence of this interdisciplinary enterprise. The editors are to be commended for their skilful crafting of this important volume. The first two parts provide the basic information that is relevant to the field as a whole, the following two parts elaborate on these principles, and the last part elaborates on specific technologies or applications.

Download or read book Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production written by Milkha S. Aulakh and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ideas for sustainable agricultural practices Long-term security of the global food supply requires a balance between increasing production and environmental sustainability. Both nutrient scarcities and surpluses alike can threaten this balance. Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production examines the challenges of managing both organic and inorganic nutrient sources in agricultural systems where nutrients are deficient or in excess supply. Through a combination of theoretical and applied knowledge, this collection provides a practical understanding of how any type of production system can successfully adopt integrated nutrient management (INM). A frank and factual discussion of the challenges and possibilities INM holds, Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production brings together essays and scientists from around the world. This essential text presents international case studies on the potential for continuing production with a focus on sustainability. Comprehensive and wide-ranging in its scope, this accessible book looks at many concerns central to INMfrom the risks of excess supply and depletion to technological requirements for improved management. Here is a single source that not only presents a range of options for managing nutrients, but offers viable ideas for future directions as well. Along with a wealth of informative maps, graphs, and tables, some of the topics covered in Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Crop Production include: trends in global food, feed, and fiber production and consumption current and future challenges of nutrient depletion and excess socio-economic factors of implementing INM crop production and nutrient removals in harvests monitoring soil fertility levels in the USA agricultural production and nutrient balances in Canada the European experience concepts from New Zealand technical requirements for INM in South Asia benef

Download or read book Development of a Manure based Nutrient Supply for Hydroponic Crop Production Using Ion Activity Monitoring written by Péter Tikász and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "With the increase in population and food demand, and, the limit of water and land available, novel methods are needed to produce food. Over the last decades, there has been a growth in controlled environments, especially greenhouses, and the use of hydroponic systems to produce food. In this context, the present thesis elaborates different approaches to grow food in a hydroponic system using organic fertilizers.The first study investigated different techniques to prepare a nutrient solution with cow, chicken and turkey manure. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of aerated manure extract on the growth of lettuce and kale under different manure concentrations. Nutrient analysis showed 29 to 79% higher concentration of NH4 and higher total nitrogen in the manure extracts, which may have induced toxicity in plants. Principal component analysis of the nutrient solutions identified six nutrient that needs to be monitored to maximize plant yield using manure extracts: NO3, NH4, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Na. The highest biomass was produced for both plants in the turkey extract at 50 g/L, while all plants died in the chicken extract at 50 g/L. The second study focused on a method to balance the nutrient solution made from animal manure. Specifically, powder and solid blast-furnace slag (90%) and Portland cement (10%) from Lafarge was added to chicken extract solution to balance the potassium and calcium levels. Animal manure is known to be nutrient deficient in K and Ca, while they contain Na which can be toxic to plants at high concentrations. The addition of Portland cement powder and cured cement blocks increased the Ca, K and Na content respectively in the solutions, without reaching toxic levels for Na. Healthy plants were grown in the manure and dry slag cement solution, however they were a fraction of the control treatment.The third experiment focused on the reduction of ammonium and the increase of nitrate in the chicken manure extract. Aeration and the addition of molasses was used to promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms to mineralize the nutrients and make it available for the plants. Aeration of chicken extract solution promoted nitrification and resulted in a reduction of ammonium content by 62% within a period of 12 days. Molasses was added to promote denitrification and to control nitrate levels in the solution, however the nitrate levels were still minimal, below 10 mg/L, at the end of the experiment.In the fourth experiment, three methods of measurement for ammonium and nitrate were compared. This included the API water test kit, ion-selective electrodes and the Lachat flow injection instrument. The API test kit was not reliable even after the pre-treatment steps. ISE was the best method to measure NH4, however a linear regression model was required to adjust ISE measurements. NO3 in the manure extracts was low and difficult to measure with both API and ISE methods.In the fifth study, a controlled area network binary unitary system was designed to monitor moisture and temperature levels in different hydroponic beds and to activate water pumps for irrigation purposes. The highest yield was measured in the timed treatment, where moisture varied from 88%-100%, with the lowest in the 25%-85% treatment. Individual plant wet and dry mass was monitored using a remote sensing instrument and confirmed at harvest. The sixth study was on the design and implementation of a bioreactor and a nutrient monitoring instrument using ion-selective electrodes in a research facility. Polar Eggs, a poultry farm located in Hay River, Northwest Territories of Canada, designed and created the PoutryPonics facility. This controlled environment facility was designed for experimenting food production and was created to address food insecurity in northern Canada. Within PoultryPonics, chickens were raised, and their manure was transformed to manure extracts for the use in hydroponic systems"--

Download or read book Plant Nutrition of Greenhouse Crops written by Cees Sonneveld and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-09-18 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greenhouse cultivation is noted for its high uptake of minerals, consistent climatic conditions, exclusion of natural precipitation and control of salt accumulation. Acknowledging that plant nutrition in greenhouse cultivation differs in many essentials from field production, this volume details specific information about testing methods for soils and substrates in a greenhouse environment. It does so while offering a universally applicable analysis. This is based on the composition of the soil and substrate solutions, methods for the interpretation of tissue tests, and crop responses on salinity and water supply in relation to fertilizer application. Fertilizer additions, related to analytical data of soil and substrate samples, are presented for a wide range of vegetable and ornamental crops. The subject is especially apt now as substrate growing offers excellent possibilities for the optimal use of water and nutrients, as well as the potential for sustainable production methods for greenhouse crops.

Download or read book Effects of Low Nutrient Solution PH on Hydroponic Leafy Green Plant Growth Nutrient Concentration of Leaf Tissue and Pythium Zoospore Infection written by Daniel Patrick Gillespie and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, the increased demand for locally grown produce and outbreaks of E. coli linked to leafy greens has led to hydroponic leafy green production in controlled environments becoming a viable addition to the fresh produce food supply. Prevention of plant pathogen introduction in hydroponics is critical, as effective control agents for root diseases of edible crops are limited and may not be registered for use in greenhouses or indoors. This study examined lowering nutrient solution pH as a new management strategy to mitigate the risk of oomycete root disease incidence without negatively influencing plant growth. Although pH below 5.0 has been shown to negatively affect oomycete pathogen growth and reproduction, hydroponic nutrient solution is typically maintained within pH 5.5-6.5, as plants tend to exhibit growth inhibition outside of this range. Nevertheless, growth inhibition can typically be attributed to pH-dependent factors affecting nutrient uptake and availability, which may be mitigated if precautionary measures are considered. We hypothesized that if plants can be grown in pH below 5.0, the risk of oomycete disease incidence may be reduced. As first steps towards the development of a new nutrient solution management strategy, we determined if adjusting micronutrient concentrations in nutrient solution based on reported availability levels were effective in mitigating nutrient disorders and plant growth inhibition typically experienced at low pH. Basil and spinach plants were grown in deep-water hydroponic systems with pH maintained at 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, or 5.5. Two nutrient solutions (with and without micronutrient adjustments) were applied at each pH level, where concentrations of copper, zinc, manganese, and boron were decreased by one-half and molybdenum concentration was doubled in the adjusted solution. To our surprise, even though most elemental concentrations of leaf tissue decreased with decreasing pH, basil plant growth was not affected by pH for a range of 4.0-5.5 or nutrient solution adjustment. Alternatively, spinach plant growth was significantly reduced in pH below 5.0. Using basil plants, we then examined the efficacy of lowering pH in preventing Pythium infection. Nutrient solution pH was maintained at 4.0 or a conventional range (pH 5.5-6.5) and inoculated with Pythium aphanidermatum zoospores five days subsequent to transplanting. Disease symptomology was almost exclusively limited to pH 5.5-inoculated treatments. In addition, fresh plant mass was significantly reduced in pH 5.5-inoculated treatments. The results of this study indicate that low pH (pH 4.0) can effectively suppress Pythium aphanidermatum disease incidence after zoospore inoculation without influencing basil plant growth. For spinach, further nutrient adjustments or precautionary measures may alleviate growth reductions observed at low pH. These results indicate that low nutrient solution pH is an effective, low cost, and environmentally sustainable root disease management strategy if crops can tolerate continuous exposure to low pH.

Download or read book The Vertical City written by K. Al-Kodmany and published by WIT Press. This book was released on 2018-06-25 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each century has its own unique approach toward addressing the problem of high density and the 21st century is no exception. As cities try to cope with rapid population growth - adding 2.5 billion dwellers by 2050 - and grapple with destructive sprawl, politicians, planners and architects have become increasingly interested in the vertical city paradigm. Unfortunately, cities all over the world are grossly unprepared for integrating tall buildings, as these buildings may aggravate multidimensional sustainability challenges resulting in a “vertical sprawl” that could have worse consequences than “horizontal” sprawl. By using extensive data and numerous illustrations this book provides a comprehensive guide to the successful and sustainable integration of tall buildings into cities. A new crop of skyscrapers that employ passive design strategies, green technologies, energy-saving systems and innovative renewable energy offers significant architectural improvements. At the urban scale, the book argues that planners must integrate tall buildings with efficient mass transit, walkable neighbourhoods, cycling networks, vibrant mixed-use activities, iconic transit stations, attractive plazas, well-landscaped streets, spacious parks and engaging public art. Particularly, it proposes the Tall Building and Transit Oriented Development (TB-TOD) model as one of the sustainable options for large cities going forward. Building on the work of leaders in the fields of ecological and sustainable design, this book will open readers’ eyes to a wider range of possibilities for utilizing green, resilient, smart, and sustainable features in architecture and urban planning projects. The 20 chapters offer comprehensive reading for all those interested in the planning, design, and construction of sustainable cities.