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 crazing 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 . 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 flavor profile . In crops such as herbs , this can also result in higher levels of volatiles which contribute the distinctive flavor 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 .
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Plants exhibit a strategy termed oxytropism ,
WHERE ROOTS WILL AVOID GROWING INTO OXYGEN-DEPRIVED AREAS .”
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Deficit irrigation can be used in crops such as tomatoes to restrict root zone moisture levels and improve fruit quality .
Maximum Yield 25