Muscat, October 5 (ONA) - Salem Al-Essayi, a farmer in the Wilayat of Saham was able to implement a system of cooling the nutrient solution in hydroponics in greenhouses to produce cucumber crops.

Al-Essayi explained that the production quantity before the cooling system ranges from 4 to 5 tons and after the use of the cooling system increased ranging between 5 and half tons and 6 tons.

Dr. Muathir bin Saleh Al Rawahi, Head of the Vegetable Research Department, said, “Efforts are continuing by researchers in the Vegetable Research Department of the General Directorate of Agricultural Research at the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources in order to develop soilless farming techniques in the Sultanate, as the technique of cooling the nutrient solution was developed during the summer period, and this technique was applied to the cucumber crop.

He indicated that one of the most important reasons that led to the development of this technology is the noticeable rise in temperatures during the summer season, which in turn leads to a rise in the temperature of the nutrient solution, reaching between 32 - 35 Celsius degrees, which directly affects the plant. The absorption of nutrients by the roots of the plant decreases and thus weakens it and causes a decrease in its productivity, in addition to infecting the root system with fungal diseases, which was a greater obstacle for many farmers who applied this system.

He pointed out that a rise in the temperature of the root zone of the cucumber crop of more than 30 ° C affects most of the physical, chemical and biological processes that the plant performs and becomes unable to absorb water and nutrients in a good and usual way, which stops its growth and becomes weak in structure and has no ability to resist diseases, which may lead to its death often. Therefore, cooling of the root zone is very important, as the amount of chlorophyll formed in plants is strongly influenced by environmental factors including temperature changes, because the optimum temperatures enhance the increase in carbohydrates and photosynthesis processes, which leads to an increase in chlorophyll in the leaves and positively affects the productivity.

He explained that the temperature of the water or the nutrient solution is an important factor affecting plant development in water systems, so it is necessary to study the optimum temperature requirements for different crops grown in high temperature conditions (in the summer).

(ONA)