In the heart of Athens, Greece, a groundbreaking study led by Evangelos Giannothanasis at the Agricultural University of Athens is revolutionizing the way we think about soilless crop cultivation. The research, published in the journal ‘Smart Agricultural Technology’ (translated as ‘Intelligent Agricultural Technology’), addresses a critical challenge in closed-loop soilless culture systems (CLS): sodium accumulation.
Giannothanasis and his team have developed a novel technology that combines ion-selective electrodes (ISE) with a decision support system (DSS) to manage sodium accumulation effectively. This innovation is a game-changer for the agricultural industry, particularly for those involved in hydroponics and precision nutrition.
The study focused on a cucumber crop grown in a CLS using raw water with a sub-optimal sodium concentration. The team measured the concentrations of potassium, calcium, nitrate, and sodium in the drainage solution daily using ISEs. The data was then fed into the DSS, which calculated the actual injection rates of concentrated fertilizer solutions and transmitted these online to a multi-tank fertigation system for automatic implementation.
“The use of ISEs in combination with the DSS maintained the target electrical conductivity in the root zone, thus preventing exposure of the crop to excessive salinity,” Giannothanasis explained. This is a significant achievement, as excessive salinity can severely impact crop yield and quality.
The results were impressive. In the treatment using ISEs and DSS, the water productivity increased by 46% and 15%, and the agronomic efficiency of nitrogen by 64% and 73%, compared to the open system and to the CLS with standard nutrient management, respectively. This means that farmers can produce more with less, a crucial factor in today’s world of increasing water scarcity and environmental concerns.
The commercial impacts of this research are substantial. For the energy sector, this technology can lead to more efficient use of resources, reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural practices. It also opens up new opportunities for nutrient recycling and precision nutrition, areas that are gaining increasing attention in the agricultural industry.
This study shows that smart digital technologies supported by ISEs can successfully mitigate salinity damage due to sodium accumulation in CLS. As Giannothanasis puts it, “This is a significant step forward in the development of sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.”
The implications of this research are far-reaching. It paves the way for future developments in the field of soilless crop cultivation, offering a promising solution to one of the major obstacles in recycling drainage solution in CLS. As we move towards a more sustainable future, technologies like these will be crucial in meeting the challenges of feeding a growing population while minimizing our impact on the environment.