Response of cucumber plants to oxygen-enriched nutrient solution under different greenhouse environments

P. Singh
A study was performed to determine the effects of supplemental oxygen on hydroponically grown cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus 'Jawell') under two different greenhouse environments, a high technology greenhouse, and a solar greenhouse. Three concentrations of dissolved oxygen, 4 mg L‑1 (low), 8 mg L‑1 (medium), and 15 mg L‑1 (high) were maintained in the root zone of the plants grown in cocopeat media. The crop was evaluated for growth, yield, and postharvest quality parameters. The fruit yield was higher in the high technology greenhouse than the solar greenhouse, however, the difference was not significant. The fruit yield and quality were promoted at the oxygen concentration of 8 and 15 mg L‑1 as compared to 4 mg L‑1 in the high technology greenhouse. In the solar greenhouse, the growth and yield were improved with the increased oxygen concentration; maximum plant growth and the highest fruit yield were obtained with 15 mg L‑1 followed by 8 mg L‑1 of dissolved oxygen. The postharvest quality of cucumbers was assessed at 10°C temperature and 95% relative humidity up to 29 days after harvest. The cucumbers harvested from high technology greenhouse demonstrated lower decay and better firmness over a longer time as compared to fruits harvested from the solar greenhouse. Also, the fruits harvested from solar greenhouse recorded faster and more weight loss. Oxygen enriched media in both the greenhouse environments yielded fruits with longer shelf-life resulting in higher fruit weight and firmness throughout the observation period. An additional experiment (cucumber root assay) was performed to quantify the level of adventitious rooting elicited by oxygen-enriched solution. We found that the supplemental levels of dissolved oxygen were positively related with the number, length, and dry weight of roots.
Singh, P. (2021). Response of cucumber plants to oxygen-enriched nutrient solution under different greenhouse environments. Acta Hortic. 1317, 47-54
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1317.6
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1317.6
high technology greenhouse, solar greenhouse, hydroponics, soilless culture, yield, postharvest quality
English

Acta Horticulturae