Comparisons in Volumes of Irrigation and Drainage, Plant Growth and Fruit Yield under FDR Sensor-, Integrated Solar Radiation-, and Timer-Automated Irrigation Systems for Production of Tomato in a Coir Substrate Hydroponic System
비순환식 고형배지경에서 배액이 토양과 지하수 오염을 발생시키는 문제를 해결하고자 그동안 연구된 데이터를 바탕으로 배액 최소화 재배방식을 확립을 위해 본 연구는 토마토 코이어 수경재배농가 시설에서 FDR 센서, 적산일사량 센서 및 타이머를 이용하여 토마토를 재배하며 급배액량, 생육 및 생산량을 비교하였다. 정식 후 88일까지 일일 식물체당 평균 급액량은 처리구에 따른 큰 차이가 없었다. 하지만 정식 후 88일 이후 107일 까지 TIMER, FDR, IR 제어구 각각의 일일 식물체당 평균 급액량은 IR(2125mL) > TIMER(2063mL) > FDR(1983mL) 수준이었고 108일부터 120일 까지는 IR(2000mL) > TIMER(1664mL) > FDR(1500mL) 수준 이었다. 배액률은 TIMER 제어구의 경우 5~12%, FDR 센서 제어구의 경우 0~7%, IR 제어구의 경우 12~19% 수준으로 IR > TIMER > FDR 순이었다. 정식 후 88일 이후부터는 FDR과 IR 제어구가 급액량에 상이한 결과를 보였는데, 이는 재배 후기 즉, 5월 20일 이후 (정식 후 94일) 누적일사량의 증가로, IR 제어구에서는 급액이 증가된 반면 FDR 센서 처리구는 적심 이후 30일이 경과된 6월 2일경부터 IR 제어구 보다 일일 급액량이 평균 500mL 적게 공급된 결과이다. 식물체 생육 및 상품과 수량도 급액방식에 따른 통계적 유의차는 없었지만, 당도는 FDR 처리구에서 TIMER 처리구에 비해 약 11%, IR 처리구에 비해 약 18% 높았다.
Water drainage from the open hydroponics often causes significant environmental pollution due to agrochemicals and loss of water and nutrients. The objectives of this study were to show the potential application of an irrigation schedule based on threshold values of volumetric substrate water content for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Samsamgu’) cultivation in a commercial hydroponic farm during spring to summer cultivation. This study was performed for minimizing effluent from coir substrate hydroponics using a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensor-automated irrigation, as compared with an integrated solar-radiation (IR) and conventional timer-irrigation (TIMER) after transplanting. In results, no significant difference in daily irrigation volume was found among the treatments until 88 days after transplant (DAT). However, during the 88 to 107 DAT, the daily irrigation volume was in the order of IR (2125 mL) > TIMER (2063 mL) > FDR (1983 mL), and during the 108 to 120 DAT, it was in the order of IR (2000 mL) > TIMER (1664 mL) > FDR (1500 mL). The lowest drainage volume was observed in the FDR treatment with the order of IR (12~19%) > TIMER (4~12%) > FDR (0~7%) during the entire growing period. A lower irrigation volume in the FDR treatment after 88 DAT may be due to the sensor’s detecting capacity for less water absorption by plant after completing fruit maturity with apical pruning and removal of lower leaves, while a higher irrigation volume in the IR treatment may be due to gradual increase in integrated solar-radiation amount as closer to summer season. There was no significant difference in plant growth and fruit yield among the treatments; however, a 11% and 18% of higher soluble sugar content was observed in the FDR than that of TIMER and IR treatment. respectively.