Production of specialty crops using efficient and ...€¦ · production, early-stage dark (i.e.,...
1
Production of specialty crops using efficient and sustainable controlled environment systems Yun Kong, David Llewellyn, and Youbin Zheng * School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada. * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Exp.1 Evaluating the potential to hydroponically produce specialty vegetables using salinized nutrient solutions We have successfully grown purslane, Salicornia bigelovii, and Suaeda glauca in solutions with 6–10 or 200 mM Na + . The crop yield was 5–6 kg m -2 for purslane and Suaeda glauca, and 0.5–1.7 kg m -2 for Salicornia bigelovii. The yield conversion efficiency was about 85, 38, and 20 g L -1 solutions for purslane, Suaeda glauca, and Salicornia bigelovii, respectively. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank for the support from our research team members, and the following organizations and companies Exp. 3 Optimizing lighting strategy for specialty crop production For winter greenhouse production using supplemental lighting, a target daily light integral (DLI) of 8.1–9.8 and 9.4–11.1 mol m -2 d -1 can be recommended for pea shoots and pea pods, respectively. For indoor microgreen production, early-stage dark (i.e., ≈ ≈ ≈5 days after seeding) can promote stem elongation without compromising yield and quality for plant species with large-size seeds (e.g., sunflowers). Exp. 2 Using high tunnels to produce high-value specialty crops. The three-year trial indicates the possibility of high tunnel production of organic bitter melons and cherry tomatoes by intercropping with snow peas or Tonghao. The achieved maximum yields of bitter melons, cherry tomatoes, pea shoots, and Tonghao were 36, 70, 6.5, and 28 t ha -1 , respectively. Also, high tunnels vs. open fields extended production time for around two months due to warmer environment. Further reading 1. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2015. Suaeda glauca can be produced hydroponically at moderate NaCl salinity. HortScience. 50:847–850. 2. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2014. Potential of producing Salicornia bigelovii hydroponically as a vegetable at moderate NaCl salinity. HortScience. 49:1154–1157. 3. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2014. Hydroponic production of purslane as a sodium-removing vegetable in NaCl-rich nutrient solution. HortScience. 49:201–206. Further reading 1. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn and Y. Zheng. 2020. High tunnels without anti-insect netting benefit organic cherry tomato production in regions with cool and short growing seasons. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 100(4): 401-414. 2. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn, K. Schiestel, M. G. Scroggins, D. Lubitz, M. R. McDonald, R. V. Acker, R. C. Martin, E. Elford and Y. Zheng. 2017. High tunnels can promote growth, yield, and fruit quality of organic bitter melons (Momordica charantia L.) in regions with cool and short growing seasons. HortScience. 52:65–71. Further reading 1. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2019. Response of growth, yield and quality of edible-podded snow peas to supplemental light-emitting diode lighting during winter greenhouse production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 99: 676–687. 2. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2019. Variation of phenotypic responses to lighting using combination of red and blue light-emitting diodes versus darkness in seedlings of 18 vegetable genotypes. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 99: 159–172. 3. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn and Y. Zheng. 2018. Response of growth, yield and quality of pea shoots to supplemental LED lighting during winter greenhouse production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 98: 732–740. Transplants Hydroponic system Salicornia bigelovii Purslane Suaeda glauca High tunnel building Spring frost protection Intercropping system High tunnel cherry tomatoes High tunnel bitter melons Supplemental lighting Edible-pod peas DLI 6.6 9.4 11.1 12.7 14.4 Sunflower microgreens DLI 5.3 11.4 13.1 Light Dark DLI 5.3 8.1 9.8 Pea shoots
Transcript of Production of specialty crops using efficient and ...€¦ · production, early-stage dark (i.e.,...
Production of specialty crops using efficient and sustainable controlled environment systemsYun Kong, David Llewellyn, and Youbin Zheng *
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.* Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Exp.1 Evaluating the potential to hydroponically produce specialty
vegetables using salinized nutrient solutions
We have successfully grown purslane, Salicornia bigelovii, and Suaeda
glauca in solutions with 6–10 or 200 mM Na+. The crop yield was 5–6 kg m-2
for purslane and Suaeda glauca, and 0.5–1.7 kg m-2 for Salicornia bigelovii. The yield conversion efficiency was about 85, 38, and 20 g L-1 solutions for purslane, Suaeda glauca, and Salicornia bigelovii, respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThank for the support from our research team members,and the following organizations and companies
Exp. 3 Optimizing lighting strategy for specialty crop production
For winter greenhouse production using supplemental lighting, a target daily light integral (DLI) of 8.1–9.8 and 9.4–11.1 mol m−2 d−1 can be recommended for pea shoots and pea pods, respectively. For indoor microgreenproduction, early-stage dark (i.e., ≈≈≈≈5 days after seeding) can promote stem elongation without compromising yield and quality for plant species with
large-size seeds (e.g., sunflowers).
Exp. 2 Using high tunnels to produce high-value specialty crops.
The three-year trial indicates the possibility of high tunnel production of organic bitter melons and cherry tomatoes by intercropping with snow peas or Tonghao. The achieved maximum yields of bitter melons, cherry tomatoes, pea shoots, and Tonghao were 36, 70, 6.5, and 28 t ha-1, respectively. Also, high tunnels vs. open fields extended production time for around two months due to
warmer environment.
Further reading
1. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2015. Suaeda glauca can be produced hydroponically at moderate NaCl salinity. HortScience. 50:847–850. 2. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2014. Potential of producing Salicornia bigelovii
hydroponically as a vegetable at moderate NaCl salinity. HortScience. 49:1154–1157.3. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2014. Hydroponic production of purslane as a sodium-removing vegetable in NaCl-rich nutrient solution. HortScience.
49:201–206.
Further reading
1. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn and Y. Zheng. 2020. High tunnels without anti-insect netting benefit organic cherry tomato production in regions with cool and short growing seasons. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 100(4): 401-414.2. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn, K. Schiestel, M. G. Scroggins, D. Lubitz, M. R. McDonald, R. V. Acker, R. C. Martin, E. Elford and Y. Zheng. 2017. High tunnels can promote growth, yield, and fruit quality of organic bitter melons
(Momordica charantia L.) in regions with cool and short growing seasons. HortScience. 52:65–71.
Further reading1. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2019. Response of growth, yield and quality of edible-podded snow peas to supplemental light-emitting diode lighting
during winter greenhouse production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 99: 676–687.2. Kong, Y. and Y. Zheng. 2019. Variation of phenotypic responses to lighting using combination of red and blue light-emitting diodes versus darkness in seedlings of 18 vegetable genotypes. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 99: 159–172.3. Kong, Y., D. Llewellyn and Y. Zheng. 2018. Response of growth, yield and
quality of pea shoots to supplemental LED lighting during wintergreenhouse production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 98: 732–740.
Transplants Hydroponic system Salicornia bigelovii
Purslane Suaeda glauca
High tunnel building Spring frost protection Intercropping system
High tunnel cherry tomatoes High tunnel bitter melons
Supplemental lighting
Edible-pod peas
DLI 6.6 9.4 11.1 12.7 14.4
Sunflower microgreens
DLI 5.3 11.4 13.1
Light
Dark
DLI 5.3 8.1 9.8
Pea shoots
