Alternative water sources for irrigation are needed to be found, as agriculture is currently using the 70%of total freshwater. Seawater use for growing crops has long been studied; while an agriculture based onpure seawater is currently impossible, seawater hydroponics may be viable, not aggravating salinization problems in soils. This work aimed at assessing the possibility of growing lettuce, chard and chicory with3 seawater and freshwater blends (i.e. 5%–10%–15% of seawater). We investigated: i) crops growth, waterconsumptions, water use efficiency (WUE), water productivity (WP); ii) photosynthetic parameters; iii)principal mineral elements, soluble sugars and phenolics concentration. Lettuce productivity was neg-atively affected by 10% and 15% of seawater, whereas chard and chicory’s growth were not affected byany blend. Interestingly, water consumptions dropped and WUE significantly upturned in every testedcrop accordingly with increased seawater concentrations. Leaf concentration of Na+and of some otherions increased. We concluded that certain amounts of seawater can be practically used in hydroponics,allowing freshwater saving and increasing certain mineral nutrients concentrations.
Potential and constraints of different seawater and freshwater blends as growing media for three vegetable crops / Atzori, Giulia; Guidi Nissim, Werther; Caparrotta, Stefania; Masi, Elisa; Azzarello, Elisa; Pandolfi, Camilla; Vignolini, Pamela; Gonnelli, Cristina; Mancuso, Stefano. - In: AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT. - ISSN 0378-3774. - STAMPA. - 176:(2016), pp. 255-262. [10.1016/j.agwat.2016.06.016]
Potential and constraints of different seawater and freshwater blends as growing media for three vegetable crops
ATZORI, GIULIA;GUIDI NISSIM, WERTHER;CAPARROTTA, STEFANIA;MASI, ELISA;AZZARELLO, ELISA;PANDOLFI, CAMILLA;VIGNOLINI, PAMELA;GONNELLI, CRISTINA;MANCUSO, STEFANO
2016
Abstract
Alternative water sources for irrigation are needed to be found, as agriculture is currently using the 70%of total freshwater. Seawater use for growing crops has long been studied; while an agriculture based onpure seawater is currently impossible, seawater hydroponics may be viable, not aggravating salinization problems in soils. This work aimed at assessing the possibility of growing lettuce, chard and chicory with3 seawater and freshwater blends (i.e. 5%–10%–15% of seawater). We investigated: i) crops growth, waterconsumptions, water use efficiency (WUE), water productivity (WP); ii) photosynthetic parameters; iii)principal mineral elements, soluble sugars and phenolics concentration. Lettuce productivity was neg-atively affected by 10% and 15% of seawater, whereas chard and chicory’s growth were not affected byany blend. Interestingly, water consumptions dropped and WUE significantly upturned in every testedcrop accordingly with increased seawater concentrations. Leaf concentration of Na+and of some otherions increased. We concluded that certain amounts of seawater can be practically used in hydroponics,allowing freshwater saving and increasing certain mineral nutrients concentrations.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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