Using Date Palm Waste as an Alternative for Rockwool: Sweet Pepper Performance under Both Soilless Culture Substrates.

The degradation of soil quality due to environmental conditions and improper management practices has caused a shrinkage in land areas suitable for crop cultivation. This necessitates a transition towards soilless culture systems, which offer desirable conditions for crop growth and development and increase resource use efficiency. One of the growth-limiting factors in soilless culture systems is the type of growing substrate.

Perchlorate, nitrate, and iodine uptake and distribution in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and potential impact on background levels in humans.

Much focus has been placed on the impact of exposure to perchlorate (ClO4(-)) from drinking water. Recently, it has become more apparent that a significant percentage of the total ClO4(-) exposure may be due to ingestion of food. Most studies have only evaluated the uptake and distribution of ClO4(-) by plants without considering the potential for uptake of iodine (I) by the plant and the subsequent impacts on ClO4(-) uptake and distribution on human health.

Biofortification of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) with iodine: the effect of iodine form and concentration in the nutrient solution on growth, development and iodine uptake of lettuce grown in water culture.

Background: Iodine is an essential trace element for humans. Two billion individuals have insufficient iodine intake. Biofortification of vegetables with iodine offers an excellent opportunity to increase iodine intake by humans.

Kasza: design of a closed water system for the greenhouse horticulture.

The need for a closed and sustainable water system in greenhouse areas is stimulated by the implementation in the Netherlands of the European Framework Directive. The Dutch national project Kasza: Design of a Closed Water System for the Greenhouse Horticulture will provide information how the water system in a greenhouse horticulture area can be closed. In this paper the conceptual design of two systems to close the water cycle in a greenhouse area is described.