ETc 손실을 보상하는데 필요한 물의 양을 작물 용수 요구량(Crop water requirement, CWR)로 정의되며, ETc 평가는 작물 필요 요구량을 정확하게 정량화하는 데 필요하며, 물 균형 계산에서 중요한 역할을 한다. 토마토와 파프 리카의 실제 관수 요구량(Actual crop water, ACW)이 적절한 CWR인지 평가하였다. 토마토와 파프리카 재배에 적정한 AWC 예측 및 추정을 위하여 온실 내부 환경데이터를 Penman-Monteith을 이용하여 기준 작물 증발산(ET)을 계산한 후, 기준 증발산은 작물 상수(Kc;토마토-1.15, 파프리카-1.05)계수로 조정하였다. 토마토와 파프리카의 CWR과 ACW를 계산하여 비교 평가한 결과 ACW가 CWR을 대체할 수 있지만 파프리카의 ACW는 필요 이상으로 높게 나타났다. 또한, 토마토의 ACW는 1일 100 ~ 1,200 ml이고, 파프리카의 ACW는 1일 100 ~ 500 ml가 적절한 것으로 나타났다. 그러나, 스마트 온실에서 ETc의 정밀도를 높이려면, ETc가 CWR로 변환되고 ACW와 비교하기 위해서 클래스 A팬 설정이 필요하다. 향후 실시간으로 CWR을 측정하기 위한 시뮬레이션 프로그램 연구가 필요하다.

Supply electrical conductivity (EC) concentration of the nutrition solution is an important factor in the absorption of nutrients by plants and the management of the root zone, as it can control the vegetative/reproductive growth of a plant. Paprika usually undergoes its reproductive and vegetative growth simultaneously. Therefore, ensuring proper growth of the plant leads to increased yield of paprika. In this study, growth characteristics of paprika were examined according to the EC concentration of a coir and a rockwool substrate. The supply EC was 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mS·cm-1 applied at the initial stages of the growth using the rockwool (commonly used by paprika farmers) and the coir substrate with a chip and dust ratio of 50:50 and 70:30. For up to 16 weeks of paprika growth, EC concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 mS·cm-1 were found to have a greater effect on the growth than EC at 4.0 mSꞏcm-1. The normality (marketable) rate of fruit, the soluble solid content, and paprika growth showed that the coir was generally better than the rockwool regardless of the supply EC concentration. The values of the yield per plant at an EC concentration of 4.0 mS·cm-1 was mostly similar at 1.6 kg (coir 50:50), 1.5 kg (coir 70:30) and 1.5 kg (rockwool), but the yield of the rockwool was 88%, which was lower than 98% and 94% yield of the coir substrate. Therefore, this concludes that coir substrate is more effective than rockwool at improving paprika productivity. The results also suggest that the use of coir substrate for paprika has many benefits in terms of reducing production costs and preventing environmental destruction during post-processing.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different compositions of environmental substrates on hydroponic tomato cultivation. Three different substrates were used in coir chip:dust (v/v=50:50; CP1), coir chip:dust (v/v=80:20; CP2), and rock wool cube with CP2 (CPR). The amount of irrigation during the cultivation period was 190 mL/(plant·time) in all substrates. The pH and EC were 5.8-6.2 and 2.6-2.9 dS/m, respectively. The drainage rate in CP1 was 31%, in CP2 was 36%, and in CPR was 29%. The growth of tomato plants in terms of height was higher in CP1 and CPR. The leaf area was greater in CP2. The fresh and dry weights were greater in CP2 and CPR treatments. The net photosynthesis in CP2 (19.31 μmol CO2/m2s) and root activity in CP2 were higher among all three treatments. The soluble solid content of fruit was not significantly different among treatments. The yield per plant in CP2 and CPR treatments was 17% greater than the yield per plant in CP1. Therefore, the most suitable substrate for hydroponic tomato cultivation is the substrate mixed with coir chip:dust (v:v=80:20; CP2), i.e., CPR.

In this study, a solar light collector that collects and transmits solar light required for crop production in a closed plant production system was developed. The solar light collector consisted of a Fresnel lens for collecting solar light, and a tracking actuator for tracking solar light from sunrise to sunset to increase the light collection efficiency. The optical fiber that transmitted solar light was made of Glass Optical Fiber (GOF), and it had an excellent optical transmission rate. After collecting the solar light, the amount of light was measured at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm distances from the GOF through the darkroom by using a light sensor logger connected to a quantum and pyranometer sensor. Compared with solar light, the light intensity of pyranometer sensor measured at 5 cm was 114% higher than solar light, and 61% at 10 cm. In addition, it was observed that it is possible to transmit the necessary amount of light for growing crops up to about 15 cm (as over 22%) through GOF. Therefore, adding diffusers to the solar light collector should be expected to replace artificial light in plant factories or plug seedlings nurseries for leafy vegetables. More studies on the solar light collection devices and the light transmission devices that have high light collection efficiency should be conducted.