Evaluation of the Effect of Two Types of Fertilizer on the Growth, Development and Productivity

of Hydroponic Green Forage Oat (Avena sativa L.) and Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) as a
Biomass Source
Deivis Suárez Riveroa; Andrés Mauricio Sua Villamila; Olga Marín Mahechaa; Adriana Mejía Terána; Maikel Suárez Riverob; Angélica María Santis Navarro*c
aFundación Universitaria Agraria de Colombia – UNIAGRARIA , bInstituto de Ciencia Animal – ICA, cUniversidad Cooperativa de Colombia – UCC.
Suarez.Deivis@uniagraria.edu.co

ABSTRACT
Hydroponic Green Forage (HGF) is increasingly being internationally recognized as an alternative to ensure sustainable biomass production per unit area in the
shortest possible time and at the highest possible quality. This research thus evaluates the effect of two nutrient solutions (with two dilutions in each case) applied
in the HGF production system for Oats and Ryegrass on the parameters of growth, development and productivity of both species. To this end, a handmade
greenhouse was built in which two seed sowing trays were installed with a fertigation system for oats and ryegrass species. The experimental design consisted of
the assembly of two modules of 24 seed trays in which HGF Oat and Ryegrass were grown using two nutrient solutions (which were applied according to the
position of the seed trays inside the module at level 2 and level 4). The tests showed for the two species evaluated that the use of organic solutions significantly
promote the conversion and yield variables of fresh mass per unit area - an increase in the relative growth rate, the net assimilation rate, the crop growth rate and
the absolute growth rate; all of these as a measure of crop development. Likewise, when the analysis was conducted, it was observed that the most economic
assemblies turned out to be those which used the liquid humus as nutrient solution to 1/20 v.v. and 1/40 v.v. This supports the conclusion that the use of organic
nutrient solution can yield high quality HGF exceeding the development parameters of those produced using conventional (synthetic) nutrient solutions.

INTRODUCTION RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Biomass production of different crops is limited by various factors, such Germination percentage HGF Oat and Ryegrass: When making the
as the decrease of land available for sowing, adverse weather assessment of germination percentage in oat seeds, it was established that
conditions (Carneiro et al., 2014), high labour costs. Along of other of the 100 placed seeds in the sprouter only 10% did not germinate.
Everything seems to indicate that specific seed factors that interfere in the
factors, in the case of the natural pastures, these are, in addition, being
dormancy and embryo viability could be affecting this process. On the other
affected by the previously mentioned factors and also by the costs in the
hand, for the ryegrass seeds it was established that of the 100 placed
concentrates and by the use of abundant quantities of irrigation water seeds in the sprouter only 7% did not germinate.
(which is increasingly scarce and expensive). The effect of these
phenomena is being decreased in protected agriculture while the open Plant height in HGF:
landscapes are still out of fully control. This series of problems that
challenges the agriculture, also affects the agroproductive systems in
terms of the production efficiency, biomass yields and profitability per
unit area. Among the alternatives to this situation one finds beneficial to
use of plasticultures.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
N°
Experimental conditions Tratamientos
Identificación

T1 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/20 v.v.

T2 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/40 v.v.
Figure 1: Height of the oat coleoptiles Figure 2: Height of the Ryegrass
T3 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/20 v.v. coleoptiles
Oat

T4 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/40 v.v.

T5 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/10 v.v. Behaviour of leaf area (LA):
T6 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/20 v.v.
N°
T7 nivel 4 + la solución Identificación
nutritiva sintética dilución 1/10 v.v.
Tratamientos
T8 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/20 v.v.
T9 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/20 v.v.
T10 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/40 v.v.
Ryegrass

T11 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/20 v.v.

T12 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva orgánica dilución 1/40 v.v.
T13 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/10 v.v.
T14 nivel 2 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/20 v.v.
T15 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/10 v.v.
T16 nivel 4 + la solución nutritiva sintética dilución 1/20 v.v.

Measurement of parameters of growth and development

During a production of HGF Oat and Ryegrass the following morpho-
Figure 3: Behaviour of leaf area in oats Figure 4: Behaviour of leaf area in Ryegrass
physiological characteristics were measured: a) Germination
percentage. b) Plant height (cm) was measured using a measuring tape
(or square) from the stalk base to the tip of the last completely formed Dry matter (DM):
leaf. c) Leaf Area (cm2). d) Fresh matter (g). e) Dry matter (g) was
determined according to the procedures. f) Growth rates and
development. g) Physiological indices (Table 1).

Table 1: Physiological indices, adapted of Silva et al., 2009

Growth rate Symbol Instantaneous Average value in a time interval Units
value (T2-T1)
Relative Growth Rate RGR 1 𝑑𝑤 (𝐿𝑛 𝑊2 − 𝐿𝑛 𝑊1) g/gd
𝑅𝐺𝑅 =
𝑤 𝑑𝑡 (𝑇2 − 𝑇1)
Net Assimilation Rate NAR 1 𝑑𝑤 (𝑊2 − 𝑊1) g/cm2d Figure 5: Final dry matter in Oat Figure 6: Final dry matter in Ryegrass
𝐿𝐴 𝑑𝑡 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
𝑁𝐴𝑅 =
(𝐿𝑛𝐿𝐴2 − 𝐿𝑛𝐿𝐴1)
(𝐿𝐴2 − 𝐿𝐴1) Development indices
Leaf Area Index LAI 𝐿𝐴 (𝐿𝐴2 + 𝐿𝐴1) Dimensionless 0,12 0,00012
𝐹𝐴 𝐿𝐴𝐼 = 2 according to the units
0,016 0,012

1 0,014 RGR
𝐹𝐴 RGR 0,010 0,10
NAR
0,00010
NAR
Crop Growth Rate CGR 1 𝑑𝑤 1 (𝑊2 − 𝑊1) g/cm2d 0,012
𝐶𝐺𝑅 = ×
𝐹𝐴 𝑑𝑡 𝐹𝐴 (𝑇2 − 𝑇1) 0,010
0,008 0,08 0,00008

Absolute Growth Rate AGR 𝑑𝑤 𝑊2 − 𝑊1 g/d

RGR

NAR

𝐴𝐺𝑅 =
RGR

NAR

0,008 0,006 0,06 0,00006

𝑑𝑡 𝑇2 − 𝑇1
Leaf Area Duration LAD - (𝐿𝐴2 + 𝐿𝐴1) × (𝑇2 − 𝑇1) cm/d 0,006
𝐿𝐴𝐷 = 0,004 0,04 0,00004
2
0,004
Specific Leaf Area SLA 𝐿𝐴 𝐿𝐴2 𝐿𝐴1 cm2/g
+ 0,02 0,00002
𝐷𝐿 𝑆𝐿𝐴 = 𝑊2 𝑊1 0,002
0,002

2
0,000 0,000 0,00 0,00000
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12 T13 T14 T15 T16
(dw/dt= Derived of the function, LA=leaf area, FA= area of the floor, DL= dry mass foliar, T= time, W= dry TREATMENT
TREATMENT
mass).
Figure 7: Behaviour of relative growth Figure 8: Behaviour of relative growth
rate - RGR and net assimilation rate - rate - RGR and net assimilation rate -
h) Conversion: a fresh forage-seed conversion (FSC) was calculated, NAR for FVH crop of ryegrass.
NAR for FVH crop of oat
which indicates the kg forage produced per kg seed used. i) Yields: is a
magnitude of the forage in kg m-2 or kg ha-1 based on fresh weight FVH productivity parameters: The treatment that generated the highest
(FM). quantity of the fresh biomass in the cultivation of oats at harvest was the T3
with more than 6 kg. Ryegrass showed a similar behaviour to oat where the
Statistical analysis treatment that generates the highest quantity fresh biomass at the harvest
A single analysis of variance (ANOVA) between the averages of the time was the T10 with 4 kg in the area of 2400 cm2. The following
samples by treatment at a significance level of 95% (α = 0.05) was treatments that obtained close to similar values obtained were the T9, T11
carried out to establish whether any differences exist for the variables and T12 with 3.5 kg of the fresh biomass.
under evaluation (Suárez, 2011).
REFERENCE
Carneiro M., Moreira R., Gominho J., Fabião A., 2014, Could control of invasive acacias be a source of biomass for energy under mediterranean conditions?, Chemical Engineering
Transactions, 37, 187–192. DOI: 10.3303/CET1437032.
Silva W., Alfaro Y. J., Jiménez R. J., 2009, Evaluation of morphological and agronomical characteristics of five yellow-maize inbred lines in different sowing dates, Revista UDO Agrícola, 9 (4), 743-755.
Suárez D., 2011, Estadística Inferencial, Editorial EDUCC, 49 – 63.