Journal of New Approaches in Water Engineering and Environment
Scientific Journal

The effect of multi-layer cultivation substrate on the yield and yield components of greenhouse strawberry in a closed hydroponic system

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Saloome Sepehri 1
Ghasem Zarei 2
Amir Arab-Nemati 3
Hossein Karimifar 4

1 Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran

2 Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

3 CEO of Masir Sabz Keshavarzi Paydar Company,

4 horticultural plant breeding, expert in the design and development of Masir Sabz Keshavarzi Paydar Company

https://doi.org/10.22034/nawee.2025.478511.1106
Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate two-layer substrates in closed hydroponic and select an appropriate design for strawberry cultivation. To select the appropriate dimensions of the two-layer substrate for strawberries, two different cultivation system designs were considered. In the first design, the base and height of the triangular substrate were 20 and 10 (B2), and in the second design, they were 12 and 20 cm (B3), respectively. The hydroponic cultivation of strawberries in grow bags (B1) was used as the control treatment. At the end of the growing period, to assess yield and yield components, five plants were selected, and 20 fruits were harvested from each plant. Based on the results, the highest and lowest leaf area, measuring 2037.3 and 1667 cm², belonged to the B2 and B1, respectively. In addition, the highest fruit weight per plant (679.2 gr), was achieved in the B2, which was significantly higher than the grow bag treatment (581.3 gr). The increase in yield is attributed to the efficient multi-channel system used in the two-layer substrates, which facilitated the flow of the hydroponic nutrient solution, thereby improving root growth and expansion. Overall, the results of this study indicate the significant superiority of the NCS systems with two-layer substrates compared to the conventional grow bag method, in terms of enhancing strawberry yield. Specifically, the use of the B2 and B3, compared to the grow bag substrate, resulted in yield increases of 16.8 and 11.1%, respectively.

Keywords

Soilless cultivation
Nutrient solution
Multi-layer substrate
Nutrient film technique
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Journal of New Approaches in Water Engineering and Environment
Volume 4, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 14-26

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