Agronomy journal, Vol. 74 No. 4, 2012.
Professional paper
THE INFLUENCE OF MULTIPLE HARVEST ON ROCKET YIELD IN FLOATING HYDROPONIC
Dunja Geršak
; Gospodarska škola Čakovec, Čakovec, Hrvatska
Biserka Vojnović
; Gospodarska škola Čakovec, Čakovec, Hrvatska
Elvic Novak
; Gospodarska škola Čakovec, Čakovec, Hrvatska
Abstract
Rocket (Eruca sativa Miller.) belongs to a group of leafy, low calorie vegetables which becomes more popular due to considerable concentration of bioactive components. Croatian market requires a fresh rocket all year round which can be achieved by organizing rocket production in the controlled environment of greenhouse, by simple hydroponic techniques such as floating hydropon. Rocket has ability of rosette regeneration after harvest and it is suitable for multiple harvests which reduce depletion of materials (seed, polystyrene panel, perlite) and working hours (cleaning and disinfection of used panels and repeated sowing). Research with the aim to establish the effect of multiple harvests on rocket yield was conducted in floating hydropon in the greenhouse of 'Gospodarska škola' Čakovec. Experiment was carried out during summer-autumn growing period 2011 in 6 cycles. In each cycle rocket kultivar 'Coltivata' was sown on 12 panels (6.9 m2) with seeds density 8 g/m2. The first harvest was 23 days after sowing and second 14 days later, i.e., 37 days after sowing. The third harvest followed 15 days after second harvest, i.e., 52 days after sowing. Average yield per cycle achieved in three-time harvest was high (4250 g/m2), but between the cycles there were no significant differences in the yield. The highest rocket yield was achieved in the first harvest (1783 g/m2), smaller (1319 g/m2) in the third and the least (1148 g/m2) in the second harvest. The share of the first, second and the third harvest in the total yield was 42, 27 and 31%.
Keywords
Eruca sativa Miller; summer-autumn growing period; floating hydroponic; multiple harvests
Hrčak ID:
97749
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2012.
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