Energy, Water and Fertilizer Requirement of a Closed Loop Soilless

Culture of Greenhouse Cherry Tomato in Sicily

L. Incrocci and A. Pardossi C.A. Campiotti
Dipart. Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, ENEA- Dip. Biot. & Innovazione, Via
Univ. of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 24 Anguillanese, 301 00060 Roma, Italy
56124 Pisa, Italy.

R. Balducchi L. Giunchi
Uts Biotec-Agro, GiZeta Tecnica, Via Calcinaro 1383,
C.R.Trisaia – ENEA-S.S. Jonica 106 Km 47023 Cesena (FO), Italy.
419,5; 75026 - Rotondella (MT), Italy.

Keywords: greenhouse, hydroponics, cherry tomato, closed-loop system

Abstract
The South-east cost of Sicily, with more of 5.000 ha of protected crops, is one
of the most important area in the Mediterranean horticulture, but the incoming
prohibition of methyl bromide and the progressive salinisation of irrigation water
could limit the future expansion of this economical sector. Soilless cultures may be a
tool to save water, fertiliser and labour, but nowadays they are employed in less than
1% of total greenhouse area. The paper reports the results of a demonstration
project (ProBio) conducted in the province of Ragusa to promote the use of closed-
loop soilless culture for cherry tomato, that is the most typical vegetable crop in
Sicily. A simple soilless system was set up with slow sand filtration of the recycling
solution and its performance in terms of water, electric energy and fertilizer
consumption was recorded together with fruit yield and quality.

INTRODUCTION
The South-East cost of Sicily, with more of 5.000 ha of protected crops, is a very
important area for the Mediterranean horticulture, but the incoming prohibition of methyl
bromide and the progressive salinisation of irrigation water could limit the future
expansion of this sector.
In recent years, soilless systems have been getting more and more attention as a
tool to reduce the needs for labour and the use of pesticides, water and energy as well as
to improve crop yield and produce quality. Water and nutrients can be saved only by
means of closed-loop growing systems, in which the crop is fed by recycling nutrient
solution; instead, open-loop systems (i.e. with free drainage) causes massive waste of
water and nutrients (Baille, 1998) and is responsible for environmental pollution.
Notwithstanding the increasing growers’ interest in hydroponics, these growing
techniques are scarcely employed in Sicily and presently they cover less than 1% of the
total protected area (Giuffrida et al. 2001), due to the high investment costs and the lack
of soilless specialists.
The PROBIO (BIOtechnological PROduction) has been supported by Italian
National Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment (ENEA) and by
European Regional Development Found 1994-99 and had as main goal the quality’s
amelioration of the typical agro-industrial crops of the South Italian regions. This paper
reports the results of a demonstration action of PROBIO conducted to promote the use of
closed-loop soilless culture for cherry tomato, that in the last years has become the most
typical vegetable crop in Sicily.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A low-cost (less than 10 €/m2, including hand-labour) closed-loop soilless system
was installed in a commercial greenhouse located in the district of Ragusa (Marina di
Acate). The growing system consisted of black polyethylene gullies (0.30 x 0.40 x 20 m)

Proc. 6th IS on Protected Cult.

Eds: G. La Malfa et al. 189
Acta Hort 614, ISHS 2003
filled with expanded clay (which is supplied locally at low price). In order to reduce the
evapotranspiration a 3 cm layer of peat was used to cover the expanded clay.
Irrigation was controlled by a timer that was manually adjusted in order to have a
drainage percentage around 50%; water was supplied to the crop from 4 to 12 times per
day depending on climatic condition and growing stage.
The drainage nutrient solution was collected, disinfected by a simple slow sand
filter, and mixed with a same quantity of fresh water in a mixing tank in order to replenish
the evapotranspiration. Stock solutions and/or nitric acid were added in order to maintain
EC and pH set-point (3.4 mS/cm and 5.5, respectively). The composition of irrigation
water and nutrient solutions supplied to the crop during vegetative and fruiting stage are
reported in Table 1.
Cherry tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., cv Naomi) were
transplanted at a plant density of 3,1 plant/m2 on 5 October 2000. Harvest started on 20
January and finished on 24 May 2001; 18 trusses per plant were picked.
Crop yield and the pH and EC of fruit juice were recorded on six parcels of ten
plants, and the consumption of water, fertilisers and energy was recorded weekly. Starting
from one month from transplanting, drainage solution was also analysed regularly for the
concentration of macro-nutrients and non-essential ions. The analysis were performed by
spectrophotometry (N-NO3), flame photometry (K, Na), titration (Ca, Mg) and by
turbinometric method (S-SO4).

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The evapotranspiration of soilless tomato culture ranged from a minimum of 0.6
mm in the winter to a maximum of 3 mm in the spring (Figure 1). The use of time-
controlled irrigation was not very efficient, since a large variability in the percentage of
drainage solution was observed (figure 1). The results obtained have shown the feasibility
of a closed-loop system for the cultivation of cherry tomato with a good irrigation quality
water, in agreement with literature (Baille, 1998; Van Os and Stanghellini, 2001). In fact,
the drainage water collected was totally reused with a important save of water and
fertiliser (Table 2). Nevertheless a high consumption of electric energy was necessary for
the system operation (pumps, timer, electrovalves ect.).
The results of weekly analysis of drainage nutrient solution are shown in figure 2.
EC tended to increase with time up to 4 to 5 mS/cm, but it never reached the value (6
mS/cm) that had been set-up for flushing. The increase in EC was associated with the
accumulation of all the measured ions except for the K, which concentration increased
only from middle January to early March.
Fruit yield and quality were satisfactory (Table 3). Commercial yield was higher
in the central trusses and decreased in the last trusses. The fruit weight and the EC value
of fruit juice decrease from the first truss until the last.

CONCLUSIONS
The growing system proved to be simple since it could be managed by growers
with only basic knowledge of hydroponic technology, thus demonstrating soilless culture
is not a complicate technique and can be used on large scale, if investment costs are
reduced. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the use of slow sand filtration is
sufficient to avoiding the pathogen attacks when proper phyto-sanitary measures are
adopted during the plant’s cycle.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was supported by European Union Support Framework 1994-99
Structural Funds - Subprogramme II - Measure II.1 (n° 94.05.09.013/ARINCO n°
94.IT.16.028) and Italian Minister.
The authors wish to thank Dr. S. Leocata (ARA s.n.c, Catania) for technical
assistance.

190
Literature Cited
Baille, 1998. Crop water requirements of greenhouse crops: application to fertirrigation
scheduling. Proc. of Soilless Crop Cultivation. Pisa, Italy, 26-27 Febrary 1998.
Giuffrida F., Leonardi C., Noto G., Lipari V. 2001. Sui sistemi di coltivazione senza
suolo adottati in una rappresentativa area della serricoltura mediterranea. Italus Hortus
8 (6): 109-113.
Savvas D. (2001). Nutritional management of vegetables and ornamental plants in
hydroponics. In : Dris, R, Niskanen, R, and Jain S.M. (Eds.). Crop management and
postharvest handling of horticultural products. Volume 1- Quality management.
Science Publishers, Inc..USA.
Van Os E. and Stanghellini C. 2001. Diffusion and environmental aspects of soilless
growing systems. Italus Hortus 8 (6): 9-15.
Voogt, W. and Sonneveld C. 1997. Nutrient management ion closed growing systems for
greenhouse production. 83-102. In: Goto, E.; Kurata, K.; Hayashi, M.; Sase, S. (Eds.),
Plant Production in Closed Ecosystems, Klwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The
Netherland.

Tables

Table 1. The composition of irrigation water quality and the fresh nutrient solutions used
for closed-loop soilless culture of cherry tomato.

pH EC N-NO3 P-PO4 K Ca Mg S-SO4 Na Cl

(mS/cm) (mg/l)
Irrigation Water 6,91 1,62 63 - 12 145 17 33 61 107
Nutrient Solution 5,5 3,4 160 50 300 180 40 105 61 107
(vegetative stage)
Nutrient Solution 5.5 3.4 168 50 323 180 40 105 61 128
(fruiting stage)

Table 2. Energy, water and fertilizer requirement of a soilless closed-loop and soil culture
of cherry tomato. Data was referred to a growing period from 05/10/2000 to
26/05/2001.

Parameter Soilless closed-loop tomato culture

Total irrigation volume (m3/ ha) 6348
Fresh water used (m3 /ha) 4072
Electrical energy required (KWh/ha) 11767
N (Kg/ha) 390
P (Kg/ha) 146
K (Kg/ha) 775

Table 3. Yield and fruit quality of cherry tomato plants grown in closed-loop soilless: data
are the means of 18 trusses.

Parameter
2 1
Total yield (tons Ha-1) 13,28
Commercial yield (gr plant-1 truss-1) 237,9
(Fruit l 1) (gr fruit-1)
* weight 20
pH of juice 4,35
EC of juice (mS/cm) 3,80

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Figures

4 75
evapotrasp. % drainage

Percentage of drainage
Evapotranspiration 3
(mm/day) 50
2
25
1

0 0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270
Days from transplanting

Fig. 1. Changes in evapotranspiration and drainage percentage in closed-loop soilless

system of cherry tomato. The culture started at the 5 October 2001.

7 K 140
A 7.5 400 B NO3-N 120
EC (mS/cm)

6 7.0 P
N K (mg/l)

300 100

P (mg/L)
pH

5 6.5 80
200
4 60
6.0
40
3 pH of drainage solution 100
5.5
EC of drainage solution
20
2 5.0 0 0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270
300 750
700 Cl-
C D
Na, Cl, S-SO 4 (mg/l)

600 250 600 S-SO4

Na
Mg (mg/l)
Ca (mg/l)

500 200
450
400 150
300 300
100
200
Ca 50 150
100
Mg
0 0 0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270
Days from transplanting Days from transplanting

Fig. 2. Values of pH and EC (A), macronutrient concentrations (B), Ca and Mg

concentration (C), and non-essential ions (D: Na, Cl, S-SO4) recorded in the
drainage solution obtained from the closed-loop culture of a cherry tomato culture.

192