Influence of cultivation conditions on growth and water use efficiency of zucchini seedlings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha53314620Keywords:
alginate composite agent, controlled cultivation conditions, seedling tray design, substrate optimization, water use efficiency, zucchini seedlingsAbstract
With the rapid advancement of facility agriculture, traditional methods of zucchini seedling cultivation face increasing challenges in meeting modern demands for quality and resource efficiency. To address this, a series of experiments were conducted to optimize cultivation conditions aimed at enhancing seedling quality and water use efficiency (WUE). Using the ‘Technology No.1’ zucchini variety as a model, the study evaluated five substrate formulations, four tray specifications, and five concentrations of an alginate composite agent (ACA) under controlled irrigation based on evapotranspiration data. Key physiological parameters, including plant height, stem diameter, dry matter accumulation, root vitality, and WUE, were measured. The results revealed that a substrate mixture of peat, perlite, and vermiculite (0.7:0.2:0.1) significantly improved plant height (+17.0%), stem diameter (+41.9%), dry matter accumulation (+53.2%), and WUE (+40.6%) compared to the peat-only control. The 50-cell tray configuration provided the most effective balance between root development and spatial efficiency, enhancing root vitality by 8.3%. Among ACA treatments, 150 mg L-1 yielded the highest WUE (44.3%) and biomass production, with significantly better performance than both lower and higher concentrations. These findings suggest that the integration of an optimized substrate, tray design, and ACA concentration (peat- perlite - vermiculite substrate + 50-cell tray + 150 mg L-1 ACA) can synergistically improve zucchini seedling quality and water efficiency. This study offers a valuable theoretical foundation for the advancement of intensive and efficient seedling cultivation technologies in facility-based zucchini production.
References
Ahmed AA (2024). Effect of seed coating on germination and seedling growth characteristics of various crops under different environmental storage conditions. Egyptian Journal of Agronomy 46(2):263-280. https://doi.org/10.21608/AGRO.2024.304142.1462
Ashton CJ, Page R, Lobo AKM, Amaral J, Siqueira JA, Orr DJ (2024). Radiometric determination of rubisco activation state and quantity in leaves. In Maurice MS (Ed). Methods in Enzymology. Academic Press pp 323-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.mie.2024.10.018
Ghouil H, Richard B, Montpied P, Dreyer, E, Brendel O (2024). Do leaf lignin content or leaf mass-to-area bias the estimation of intrinsic water use efficiency from leaf bulk δ13C? A test with seedlings from five oak species. Annals of Forest Science 81(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-024-01247-6
Han T, Feng Q, Yu TF (2023). Parameter sensitivity analysis for a biochemically-based photosynthesis model. Research in Cold and Arid Regions 15(2):73-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcar.2023.04.005
Kong J, Zan M, Chen Z, Xue C, Yang S (2024). Study on the response of vegetation water use efficiency to drought in the Manas River basin, Xinjiang, China. Forests 15(1):16-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010114
Kovačec E, Regvar M (2024). Effects of copper compounds on phenolic composition of the common and tartary buckwheat seedlings. Agriculture 14(2):269. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020269
Mahmoud SY, Farrag ES, Abou-Ghadir NMF (2025). Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) transmission by Myzus persicae vector in squash plants and inhibitory effects of some plant essential oils. SVU-International Journal of Agricultural Sciences 7(1):71-81. https://doi.org/10.21608/svuijas.2025.353032.1431
Ogasa MY, Fujii S, Tobita H, Yamashita N, Utsugi H (2021). Current status and future of cultivation in container-grown conifers for reforestation. Journal of the Japanese Forest Society 103(2):105-116. https://doi.org/10.4005/jjfs.103.105
Pandawani NP, Listihani L, Widnyana IK, Ariati PEP, Selangga DGW (2022). High impact of Clerodendrum paniculatum leaf extract to suppress zucchini yellow mosaic virus infection in zucchini plants. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 23(6):2914-2919. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d230618
Prodhan MY, Munemasa S, Nahar MNEN, Nakamura Y, Murata Y (2018). Guard cell salicylic acid signaling is integrated into abscisic acid signaling via the Ca2+/CPK-dependent pathway. Plant physiology 178(1):441-450.
Rivier PA, Jamniczky D, Nemes A, A Makó, Barna G, Uzinger N (2022). Short-term effects of compost amendments to soil on soil structure, hydraulic properties, and water regime. Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics 70(1):74-88. https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0004
Sanchez-Lucas R, Mayoral C, Raw M, Mousouraki MA, Luna E (2023). Elevated CO2 alters photosynthesis, growth and susceptibility to powdery mildew of oak seedlings. Biochemical Journal 480(17):1429-1443. https://doi.org/10.1042/BCJ20230002
Shalchian MM, Arabani M (2023). Application of plant-derived fibers in soil reinforcement on experimental, numerical, and case study scales: A review. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 82(1):19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-03029-9
Sharma G, Sharma N, Ohri P (2024). Hydrogen sulfide: a promising gasotransmitter for alleviating heavy metal toxicity and promoting growth in plants. Biologia 79(8):2327-2345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01679-5
Shi DY, Yanhong LI, Wang FF, Xia DJ, Jiao YL, Sun NN (2024). Regulation effects of line-spacing expansion and row-spacing shrinkage on dry matter and nutrient sccumulation and transport of summer maize under high plant density. Scientia Agricultura Sinica 57(23):4658-4672.
Wahyudiningsih TS, Nuraini NA, Rahmiyah M (2024). Photosynthesis and transpiration rate of phalaenopsis at different altitudes in magelang regency for flowering induction. AIP Conference Proceedings 3116(1):100010. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0210732
Wang K, Cheng B, Li D, Xiang S (2024a). A speckle projection-based 3D digital image correlation method for measuring dynamic liquid surfaces. Experiments in Fluids 65:168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-024-03907-9
Wang X, Wei Y, Jiang S, Ye J, Chen, Y, Xu F (2024b). Transcriptome analysis reveals that trehalose alleviates chilling injury of peach fruit by regulating ROS signaling pathway and enhancing antioxidant capacity. Food Research International 186: 114331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114331
Xie L, Xiao Q, Yin C (2023). Low-order fine roots of picea asperata have different physiological mechanisms in response to seasonal freeze and freeze-thaw of soil. Plant biology 25(5):727-739. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13529
Yang F, Gu H, Dai C, Lu Y (2025). Cotton pollen and honey sustain the adult Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) population during periods of prey scarcity. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 28(2):102404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2025.102404
Yang Y, Li Z, Sun H, Jian C, Zhang Q, Li Z (2023) Identification of Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae causing zucchini fruit rot in Inner Mongolia, China. Horticulturae 9(9):1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091020
Zou H, Yang X, Zhu J, Wang F, Zeng Z, Xiang (2024). Solar-driven scalable hygroscopic gel for recycling water from passive plant transpiration and soil evaporation. Nature Water 2(7):663-673. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00265-Y
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Limin PANG, Kaisheng YANG, Fenlu ZHUO, Gang XU, Lili CUI, Yuanzhe LI
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License:
Open Access Journal:
The journal allows the author(s) to retain publishing rights without restriction. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
.png)
