Root Zone Moisture Dynamics and Crop Quality
Choosing a hydroponic substrate that matches the crop and climate is important not only for root health and general plant growth , but also crop quality . Common mistakes with root zone moisture dynamics not only risk root rot , but large fluctuations in moisture levels can predispose some crops to fruiting problems such as fruit surface cracking or splitting in tomatoes , capsicum and chillies , and fruit cracking in melons and cucumbers . Selection of the right substrate , combined with a suitable irrigation program to maintain an even moisture level in the root zone can help prevent these issues in sensitive crops .
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Plants exhibit a strategy termed oxytropism ,
WHERE ROOTS WILL AVOID GROWING INTO OXYGEN-DEPRIVED AREAS .”
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Another method of quality improvement that involves moisture dynamics in the root zone is deficit irrigation — this is the careful restriction of irrigation so that the plants experience slight moisture stress . This has a number of physiological effects on plants but is largely practiced to improve the compositional quality of fruits such as tomatoes or grapes . By restricting water uptake , more sugars and other compounds concentrate in fruit tissue , thus giving an improved flavour profile . In crops such as herbs , this can also result in higher levels of volatiles which contribute the distinctive flavour and aroma of the harvested product . The issue with using deficit irrigation in hydroponics is that it requires a high degree of control and grower skill to ensure plants are only mildly stressed and not permanently damaged with no significant loss in yield . Apart from improvements in fruit quality , deficit irrigation is also a technique used to help steer crops away from being overly vegetative and towards a more generative ( flowering and fruiting ) balance . Deficit irrigation may include reducing the volume of nutrient solution applied at each irrigation , allowing more time between irrigations and allowing the media to dry slightly overnight by restricting early morning and evening irrigations . The type of deficit irrigation to force plants into generative growth must be used with caution as excessive moisture fluctuations in the root zone can lead to an increase in fruit problems such as blossom end rot and fruit splitting under certain growing conditions .
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Choosing a hydroponic substrate that matches the crop and climate is important
NOT ONLY FOR ROOT HEALTH AND GENERAL PLANT GROWTH , BUT ALSO CROP QUALITY .”
Deficit irrigation can be used in crops such as tomatoes to restrict root zone moisture levels and improve fruit quality .
Root zone moisture dynamics are part of hydroponic production — root zones need as much monitoring and attention as the aerial portions of the plant to ensure water and oxygen levels are sufficient and not contributing to root dysfunction . Substrate selection and matching to the crop and climate as well as careful control over irrigation are all part of the delicate balance of the root zone .
Crops with large leaves , grown under warm conditions , put extra pressure on the dynamics of the root zone .
40 Maximum Yield