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AIMS: Phosphorus (P)-induced zinc (Zn) deficiency is one of the most commonly studied antagonistic interactions in plant nutrition. However, there are many controversial reports about P–Zn interaction, possibly related to growth conditions. In this study, the effects of P supply on the root uptake and tissue concentrations of Zn as well as the development of Zn deficiency were investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in different media. METHODS: Plants were grown under greenhouse and growth chamber conditions in native soil, autoclaved soil and nutrient solution with different P and Zn supplies. In the soil experiment, the shoot biomass and grain yield were measured whereas in the nutrient solution experiment, the root and shoot biomass were determined. Development of Zn deficiency symptoms was examined. Concentrations of Zn, P and other elements were measured in harvested tissues. Mycorrhizal colonization of roots was scored in soil-grown plants. Root uptake of stable Zn isotope (⁷⁰Zn) was investigated at different P rates in a separate nutrient solution experiment. RESULTS: Higher P rates caused substantial decreases in shoot and grain Zn concentrations in native soil but not in autoclaved soil. Treatment of native soil with increasing P significantly reduced mycorrhizal colonization. At low Zn, P applications aggravated Zn deficiency symptoms in both soil and solution culture. In solution culture, root and shoot Zn concentrations were not lowered by higher P rates. Root uptake of ⁷⁰Zn from nutrient solution was even depressed at low P. CONCLUSIONS: The negative effect of increasing P supply on root Zn uptake and tissue Zn concentrations in wheat is mycorrhiza-dependent and may completely disappear in a mycorrhiza-free environment.

Aquaponics is currently undergoing a transformation into an intensive food production system. The initially applied systems focused on small-scale, fish-centric coupled (CAP, the aquaculture, and the hydroponic units are arranged in a single loop, and the water flows continuously from the fish tanks to the plant unit and back) aquaponics. More recently, the primary area of research interest has shifted toward larger-scale, plant-centric decoupled (aquaculture and hydroponics units are arranged in a multi-loop setup as separate functional units that can be controlled independently) systems, aiming to achieve greater economic benefits and employ more environmentally friendly practices. The objective of this study was to address gaps in the expansion of decoupled larger-scale aquaponics and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the water and nutrient flow in the system. For this purpose, experiments were performed in a greenhouse on CAP and DCAP systems, while this study also included measurements in a pure hydroponic system (HP). This study presents an assessment of the water and nutrient flow in four different crops: basil; cucumber; parsley; and tomato, all co-cultivated with a tilapia aquaculture system. Significant nutrient deficiencies and imbalances were identified in the CAP solution, leading to pronounced impacts on nutrient assimilation, particularly for fruiting vegetables. However, the average nutrient use efficiency (NUE) for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and calcium was found to be 42% higher in the CAP treatment compared to HP and DCAP treatments. The nutrient solution in the DCAP treatment did not exhibit differences in water quality parameters and nutrient efficiency when compared to HP, resulting in similar effects on nutrient assimilation. Nonetheless, it was observed that DCAP plants exhibited superior NUE compared to HP plants.

Due to its high efficacy as a wide-spectrum disinfectant and its potential for the degradation of pollutants and pesticides, ozone has broad application prospects in agricultural production. In this study, micro/nano bubble technology was applied to achieve a saturation state of bubble nutrient solution, including micro-nano oxygen (O 2 group) and micro-nano ozone (O 3 group) bubble nutrient solutions. The effects of these solutions on lettuce physiological indices as well as changes in the microbial community within the rhizosphere substrate were studied. The application of micro/nano (O 2 and O 3 ) bubble nutrient solutions to substrate-cultured lettuce plants increased the amount of dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution, increased the lettuce yield, and elevated the net photosynthetic rate, conductance of H 2 O and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration of lettuce plants. Diversity analysis of the rhizosphere microbial community revealed that both the abundance and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in the substrate increased after plant cultivation and decreased following treatment with micro/nanobubble nutrient solutions. RDA results showed that the microbial community in the S group was positively associated with EC, that in the CK and O 2 groups exhibited a positive correlation with SC, and that in the O 3 group displayed a positive correlation with CAT and POD. Overall, the implementation of micro/nanobubble generation technology in soilless substrates can effectively increase the lettuce growth and yield, and O 3 had a more pronounced effect on lettuce yield and quality and the microbial community structure in the substrate than O 2 . Our study would provide a reference and theoretical basis for developing sustainable and green technology for promoting lettuce production and can be a promising alternative to conventional methods for improving crop yields.

During the past few decades, vertical farming has attracted a lot of interest as an alternative food production method. Vertical farms use engineered growth environments and hydroponic cultivation techniques for growing plants indoors. One of the important factors in vertical farming for the cultivation of different plants is the amount of nutrients, which can be measured as electrical conductivity (EC). Studying the optimal EC is important for avoiding nutrient loss and deficiency in vertical farms. In this study, we investigated the effect of five EC levels (2, 1.2, 0.9, 0.7, and 0.5 dS m−1) of Hoagland nutrient solution on the growth and development of basil cultivar ‘Emily’ and lettuce cultivar ‘Batavia-Caipira’. During the study, the environmental parameters were kept fixed using an automatic dosing machine. The experiment was done in automatic vertical farms using the hydroponic ebb–flow cultivation technique with a temperature of 20 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 50–60%, CO2 concentration of 450 ppm, pH = 6, the PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) of 215 ± 5.5 μmol m−2 s−1, and the photoperiod of 16:8 h (day/night). Each treatment was replicated four times. We studied the effects on several growth parameters (including the dry and fresh weight of leaves and roots, number of leaves, and leaf area) as well as the chlorophyll and nitrogen concentration of the leaves. According to the results, the basil and lettuce growth parameters among the five treatments have been significantly higher in the treatment with EC of 1.2 and 0.9 dS m−1. These EC values are lower than the recommended EC value given as the optimum in the previous studies. However, the concentration of chlorophyll and nitrogen show different trends and were higher in full strength of nutrient solution with EC = 2 dS m−1.

Consumer demand for vegetables of fortified mineral and bioactive content is on the rise, driven by the growing interest of society in fresh products of premium nutritional and functional quality. Biofortification of leafy vegetables with essential micronutrients such as iron (Fe) is an efficient means to address the human micronutrient deficiency known as hidden hunger. Morphometric analysis, lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of green and red butterhead lettuce cultivars in response to Fe concentration in the nutrient solution (0.015 control, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mM Fe) were assessed. The experiment was carried out in a controlled-environment growth chamber using a closed soilless system (nutrient film technique). The percentage of yield reduction in comparison to the control treatment was 5.7%, 13.5% and 25.3% at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM Fe, respectively. Irrespective of the cultivar, the addition of 1.0 mM or 2.0 mM Fe in the nutrient solution induced an increase in the Fe concentration of lettuce leaves by 20.5% and 53.7%, respectively. No significant effects of Fe application on phenolic acids and carotenoid profiles were observed in green Salanova. Increasing Fe concentration in the nutrient solution to 0.5 mM triggered a spike in chlorogenic acid and total phenolics in red Salanova lettuce by 110.1% and 29.1% compared with the control treatment, respectively; moreover, higher accumulation of caffeoyl meso tartaric phenolic acid by 31.4% at 1.0 mM Fe and of carotenoids violaxanthin, neoxanthin and β-carotene by 37.0% at 2.0 mM Fe were also observed in red Salanova compared with the control (0.015 mM Fe) treatment. Red Salanova exhibited higher yield, P and K contents, ascorbic acid, phenolic acids and carotenoid compounds than green Salanova. The wok shows how nutrient solution management in soilless culture could serve as effective cultural practices for producing Fe-enriched lettuce of premium quality, notwithstanding cultivar selection being a critical underlying factor for obtaining high quality products.

Zn deficiency is a widespread problem in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown under flooded conditions, limiting growth and grain Zn accumulation. Genotypes with Zn deficiency tolerance or high grain Zn have been identified in breeding programmes, but little is known about the physiological mechanisms conferring these traits. A protocol was developed for growing rice to maturity in agar nutrient solution (ANS), with optimum Zn-sufficient growth achieved at 1.5 μM ZnSO4.7H2O. The redox potential in ANS showed a decrease from +350 mV to −200 mV, mimicking the reduced conditions of flooded paddy soils. In subsequent experiments, rice genotypes contrasting for Zn deficiency tolerance and grain Zn were grown in ANS with sufficient and deficient Zn to assess differences in root uptake of Zn, root-to-shoot Zn translocation, and in the predominant sources of Zn accumulation in the grain. Zn efficiency of a genotype was highly influenced by root-to-shoot translocation of Zn and total Zn uptake. Translocation of Zn from root to shoot was more limiting at later growth stages than at the vegetative stage. Under Zn-sufficient conditions, continued root uptake during the grain-filling stage was the predominant source of grain Zn loading in rice, whereas, under Zn-deficient conditions, some genotypes demonstrated remobilization of Zn from shoot and root to grain in addition to root uptake. Understanding the mechanisms of grain Zn loading in rice is crucial in selecting high grain Zn donors for target-specific breeding and also to establish fertilizer and water management strategies for achieving high grain Zn.

Soilless culture systems are currently one of the fastest-growing sectors in horticulture. The plant roots are confined into a specific rootzone and are exposed to environmental changes and cultivation factors. The recent scientific evidence regarding the effects of several environmental and cultivation factors on the morphology, architecture, and performance of the root system of plants grown in SCS are the objectives of this study. The effect of root restriction, nutrient solution, irrigation frequency, rootzone temperature, oxygenation, vapour pressure deficit, lighting, rootzone pH, root exudates, CO2, and beneficiary microorganisms on the functionality and performance of the root system are discussed. Overall, the main results of this review demonstrate that researchers have carried out great efforts in innovation to optimize SCS water and nutrients supply, proper temperature, and oxygen levels at the rootzone and effective plant–beneficiary microorganisms, while contributing to plant yields. Finally, this review analyses the new trends based on emerging technologies and various tools that might be exploited in a smart agriculture approach to improve root management in soilless cropping while procuring a deeper understanding of plant root–shoot communication.

Aims The artificial cultivation of biocrusts may represent a new low-cost and highly efficient solution to erosion control. However, establishment under varying field environmental conditions is understudied. We tested a variety of methods, arriving at a set of technical recommendations for rapid establishment of moss biocrusts on disturbed slopes, and the industrialization of this process. Methods In multiple field experiments, aimed at moss biocrust cultivation and establishment, we considered the following factors: nutrient solutions (control and weekly addition); water-retaining agent (control and addition); plant growth regulator (control and biweekly addition); shading (0, 50%, 70% and 90%); dispersal method (broadcast and spray application). In all cases, we initially inoculated soils with 700 g/m2 of moss biocrust materials. We monitored dynamic changes of the coverage and density of moss biocrusts during the cultivation period, and their biomass at the end. Results We successfully cultured moss biocrusts in a field setting in as little as two months. Specifically, we found:(1) Regardless of the dispersal method, the nutrient solutions and some degree of shading both increased the coverage, plant density and biomass of moss biocrusts, whereas the water-retaining agent and plant growth regulator had little influence on these parameters. The shading treatments improved the survival rates of moss biocrusts, with the shade rating of 70% exhibiting the best performance. Further, the nutrient solutions had a more positive effect under shaded conditions. (2) The growth of mosses dispersed in the fall exceeded that of mosses dispersed in the summer. (3) Under both dispersal techniques, the maximal coverage of the moss biocrusts exceeded 90%, and the maximal plant density of moss biocrusts reached 120 stems/cm2 under broadcast dispersal, and 150 stems/cm2, under spray dispersal. Conclusions The rapid restoration of moss biocrusts can best be achieved by spray-dispersal or broadcast-dispersal, while also applying Hoagland solution to supply nutrients and maintaining soil moisture at 15–25%. Fall inoculation appears more likely to lead to better moss establishment, in fact, high moss mortality occurred in summer unless shading was used. We have some evidence, observational in fall, and experimental in summer, that moderate shading favors establishment. This technique could feasibly be up scaled and adopted to restore some ecological functions on various types of engineered disturbed surfaces. Over a longer period, the survivorship, succession and sustainability of artificial moss biocrusts should be explored specifically.

Nursery production of sugarcane settling is gaining importance to replace large quantity of seed cane requirement and the associated cost in conventional method. Sett treatment with nutrients using vacuum-based sett treatment device is effective in delivering nutrients into the setts, and the methodology has already been standardized. However, efficiency of reuse of same nutrient solution for treating different batches of single bud setts has not been standardized. Hence, this study was carried out by reusing the same nutrient solution for treating single bud setts up to ten cycles. One set of setts from each treatment cycle was used for nutrient infusion study. Another set of setts was planted in protrays along with control to study germination, settling growth and vigour. Setts treated with nutrient solution up to fifth cycle showed weight gain and concurrent increase in nutrients showing infusion of treatment medium and nutrients. The sett treatment up to five cycles showed mean germination time of 12.64 days implying two days of germination advancement over control. Highest shoot and total biomass was in fourth treatment cycle, which was on par with initial five treatment cycles, and was significantly higher than control and other treatment cycles. However, settling vigour index (biomass-based) up to four treatment cycles were on par and second cycle showed the highest index, which was significantly higher than control and other treatments. Based on this study, it is concluded that the nutrient solution can be reused effectively up to four cycles without compromising settling vigour.

Hydroponic cultivation is a promising alternative that could address environmental and food issues. Hydroponic cultivation allows farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizers and water. Moreover, accurate monitoring of nutrient levels allows to optimize crop growth. For that, researchers have designed ion-selective electrodes as sensors and the internet of things for precise monitoring. Here we review the application of ion-selective electrodes in monitoring hydroponic solutions with focus on parameters, sensitivity, accuracy and the internet of things. We found that the targeted concentrations of nitrate and potassium are successfully maintained with errors of less than 10 mg L−1 by using polyvinyl chloride membrane based on ion-selective electrodes. Calcium electrodes show less sensitivity in detection of calcium ions in hydroponic solutions. Regular calibration sequence solved the stability issue of ion-selective electrodes. Compared to carbon nanotube-based ion-selective electrodes, the best results for sensing nitrates were obtained with polyvinyl chloride ion-selective membranes.