Growth and Mineral Relations of <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i> and <i>Beta vulgaris</i> ssp. <i>maritima</i> Cultivated Hydroponically with Diluted Seawater and Low Nitrogen Level in the Nutrient Solution
2022
Martina Puccinelli | Giulia Carmassi | Luca Botrini | Antonio Bindi | Lorenzo Rossi | Juan Francisco Fierro-Sañudo | Alberto Pardossi | Luca Incrocci
There is an increasing interest in the use of seawater in horticulture. The objective of this study was to evaluate <i>Beta vulgaris</i> var. <i>cicla</i> (Swiss chard) and its wild ancestor <i>B. vulgaris</i> spp. <i>maritima</i> (sea beet) as potential crop species for seawater hydroponics or aquaponics. Both species were grown in a floating system for leaf production with recurrent harvests. The nutrient solutions contained different concentrations of nitrate (1 and 10 mM) and a synthetic sea salt (0 and 10 g L<sup>−1</sup>), in a factorial design, where the saline solution with a low nitrate level intended to mimic the typical nutritional conditions of saltwater aquaponics. In both species, increasing the salinity or reducing the N level in the nutrient solution reduced the crop yield and total dry biomass. In both Swiss chard and sea beet, the use of saline water resulted in a lower leaf concentration of K, Ca, Cu, and Mn, and a greater content of Na and Cl. In Swiss chard, an increase in Na and Cl and a decrease in K leaf content were found in successive harvests. On average, sea beet showed a higher leaf production and accumulation of nitrate than Swiss chard.
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