Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science
Pertanika Journal Home Facebook
Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for peer-reviewed research across tropical agriculture and allied agricultural sciences.

e-ISSN 2231-8542 ISSN 1511-3701
Browse latest issue Author guidelines Submit Here
Research article

Optimizing Growth of Melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. Madesta) in Nutrient Film Technique and Drip Irrigation Hydroponics with Varied Substrates

Yosephine Sri Wulan Manuhara, Djarot Sugiarso, Ariyan Pratama Fajar, Khoirul Niam, Raden Thilawatil Aziz, Arga Wal Yudha, Christopher Clement, Budi Setiadi Daryono, Miftahudin, Karlia Meitha, Awik Puji Dyah Nurhayati and Anjar Tri Wibowo

Volume 47, Issue 4 November 2024 Published 29 November 2024
https://doi.org/10.47836/pjtas.47.4.09
KeywordsAgricultural innovation, drip irrigation system, hydroponic, melon, nutrient film technique
Article content

Abstract

Hydroponic systems offer a promising solution for urban farming and the utilization of unproductive land. Successful implementation, however, requires careful optimization to select the most effective hydroponic system tailored to specific plants and environmental conditions. This study aims to compare the growth and physiological responses of Madesta melons (Cucumis melo L. cv. Madesta) cultivated using the nutrient film technique (NFT) and drip irrigation system (DIS) with variations in growth media. The Madesta melon seeds underwent a two-week germination phase in coco peat media, followed by transplanting into NFT and DIS setups utilizing diverse growth media, including rice husk, rice husk mixed with compost, and compost only. Over four weeks post-cultivation, assessments were conducted on key growth metrics such as leaf count, leaf diameter, plant height, and stem diameter. Plant physiological responses were also analyzed, encompassing chlorophyll and nitrogen levels, along with the mineral composition within leaves and fruits. Results revealed that the DIS cultivation outperformed the NFT in terms of growth outcomes. Among the varied media combinations, the rice husk and compost blend supported growth most effectively. Notably, no significant differences were observed in leaf and fruit nitrogen content between the DIS and NFT systems, and the overall mineral content of the media remained relatively stable before and after the cultivation period. Mineral content analysis revealed calcium as the predominant element in the leaves, while potassium emerged as the most abundant mineral in the fruits. This research sheds light on the potential of hydroponic systems, specifically the DIS method, for enhancing melon cultivation, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate growth media to maximize plant growth.
Supporting literature

References

  1. Aremu, A. O., Bairu, M. W., Szüčová, L., Doležal, K., Finnie, J. F., & Staden, J. V. (2012). Assessment of the role of meta-topolins on in vitro produced phenolics and acclimatization competence of micropropagated ‘Williams’ banana. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 34, 2265–2273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1027-6
  2. George, E., Marschner, H., & Jakobsen, I. (1995). Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in uptake of phosphorusus and nitrogen from soil. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 15(3–4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.3109/07388559509147412
  3. Gruda, N. S. (2019). Increasing sustainability of growing media constituents and stand-alone substrates in soilless culture systems. Agronomy, 9(6), 298. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060298
  4. Hidayat, C., Frasetya, B., & Lestari, F. A. (2021). Effects of growth media compositions for plant growth of Inpari 13 rice (Oryza sativa L.) on substrate hydroponic system. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 1098, No. 5, p. 052007). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1098/5/052007
  5. Koch, K., & Mengel, K. (1974). The influence of the level of potassium supply to young tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) on short‐term uptake and utilisation of nitrate nitrogen (15 N). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 25(5), 465–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740250504
  6. Kuan, C.-Y., Yuen, K.-H., & Liong, M.-T. (2012). Physical, chemical and physicochemical characterization of rice husk. British Food Journal, 114(6), 853–867. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701211234372
  7. Majid, M., Khan, J. N., Shah, Q. M. A., Masoodi, K. Z., Afroza, B., & Parvaze, S. (2021). Evaluation of hydroponic systems for the cultivation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., var. Longifolia) and comparison with protected soil-based cultivation. Agricultural Water Management, 245, 106572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106572
  8. Oladele, S. O., Adeyemo, A. J., & Awodun, M. A. (2019). Influence of rice husk biochar and inorganic fertilizer on soil nutrients availability and rain-fed rice yield in two contrasting soils. Geoderma, 336, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.08.025
  9. Raviv, M. (2017). Can compost improve sustainability of plant production in growing media? Acta Horticulturae, 1168, 119–134. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1168.17
  10. Schmautz, Z., Loeu, F., Liebisch, F., Graber, A., Mathis, A., Bulc, T. G., & Junge, R. (2016). Tomato productivity and quality in aquaponics: Comparison of three hydroponic methods. Water, 8(11), 533. https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110533
  11. Selvarajh, G., Ch’ng, H. Y., Md Zain, N., Sannasi, P., & Mohammad Azmin, S. N. H. (2021). Improving soil nitrogen availability and rice growth performance on a tropical acid soil via mixture of rice husk and rice straw biochars. Applied Science, 11(1), 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010108
  12. Sharma, N., Acharya, S., Kumar, K., Singh, N., & Chaurasia, O. P. (2018). Hydroponics as an advanced technique for vegetable production: An overview. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 17(4), 364–371. https://doi.org/10.5958/2455-7145.2018.00056.5
  13. Siregar, R. M. (2020). Analysis of fosfor hara elements in coconut leaves oil by spectrofotometry. Indonesian Journal of Chemical Science and Technology, 3(1), 35-37. https://doi.org/10.24114/ijcst.v3i1.18547
  14. Syarifudin, A. A., Prayogo., Suciyono., Kenconojat, H., Santanumurti, M. B., Lamadi, A., & Jati, C. W. (2023). Performance of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) and bok choy (Brassica chinensis) in aquaponics systems using nutrient film technique in Indonesian small-scale livestock. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 46(4), 1375-1390. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjtas.46.4.19
  15. Thomas, T., Biradar, M. S., Chimmad, V. P., & Janagoudar, B. S. (2021). Growth and physiology of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivars under different growing systems. Plant Physiology Report, 26, 526–534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-021-00591-3
  16. Velazquez-Gonzalez., R. S., Garcia-Garcia., A. L., Ventura-Zapata., E., Barceinas-Sanchez, J. D. O., & Sosa-Savedra, J. C. (2022). A review on hydroponics and the technologies associated for medium-and small-scale operations. Agriculture, 12(5), 646. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050646
  17. Verdoliva, S. G., Gwyn-Jones, D., Detheridge, A., & Robson, P. (2021). Controlled comparisons between soil and hydroponic systems reveal increased water use efficiency and higher lycopene and β-carotene contents in hydroponically grown tomatoes. Scientia Horticulturae, 279, 109896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109896
  18. Xiong, J., Tian, Y., Wang, J., Liu, W., & Chen, Q. (2017). Comparison of coconut coir, rockwool, and peat cultivations for tomato production: Nutrient balance, plant growth and fruit quality. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, 1327. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01327
  19. Yang, P., Wu, L., Cheng, M., Fan, J., Li, S., Wang, H., & Qian, L. (2023). Review on drip irrigation: Impact on crop yield, quality, and water productivity in China. Water, 15(9), 1733. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091733
  20. Yang, T., Altland, J. E., & Samarakoon, U. C. (2023). Evaluation of substrates for cucumber production in the Dutch bucket hydroponic system. Scientia Horticulturae, 308, 111578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111578
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .