Dr Waldemar Kowalczyk

Dr Jacek Dyśko

Anna Felczyńska

Trends of the content of selected mineral elements in waters for fertigation of vegetable grown under covers

The aim of the study was the monitoring the mineral composition of the water used for fertigation in soilless culture. The study was conducted in the years 2010-2012 and analyzed a total of 360 samples of water from different water intakes of the major areas of vegetable production in greenhouses. The water samples were determined pH, conductivity (EC), the content of minerals and ballast ions. In each sample of water collected, the contents of bicarbonates were determined. During two years of research, an increase in the average content of bicarbonates average 80 mg.dm-3 and pH by 0.17 units on average. The content of total dissolved salts in the course of the observation period decreased. The average value of EC decreased by 0.14 mS.cm-1. The nitrate content according to the water intakes varied over a wide range from 0.05 to 128 mg.dm-3. During follow-up, two-year downward trend ballast ion content such as Cl-and SO42-, and sodium (Na +), there was no change and remained at an average level of 21.0 mg.dm-3. ...

Dr Jacek Dyśko

Prof. dr hab. Stanisław Kaniszewski

Dr Waldemar Kowalczyk

The influence of flood fertigation on the growth of greenhouse tomato transplants grown in organic substrates

Hand watering or sprinkler irrigation is mostly used in transplant produc-tion of tomatoes grown in pots with organic substrates. The flood irrigation on the tables or on the flood floors is applied in the ornamental plant production and more recently and more often in transplants production of the tomato and the cucumber cultivated in cubes of rockwool. The aim of the investigations conducted in 2008-2010 was to determine the influence of the flood fertigation with different concentration of the nutrient solution (the EC = 1,5, EC = 2,5, EC = 3,5, EC = 4,5 mS.cm -1) on the growth and development of the greenhouse tomato transplants cultivated in peat substrate. The transplants were cultivated on heated flood floor. The pots with tomato plants during fertigation were flooded to height of 3-4 cm by period 30 minutes. The kind of fertigation had no significant influence on the growth and development of tomato transplants. The plans obtained from flood fertigation and from hand watering characterized the similar height, thickness of stem, fresh and dry matter and also surface and number of leaves. Tomato transplants fertigated with nutrient solution of EC 2,5 and 3,5 mS cm-1. had best parameters such as the height, ...

Dr Jacek Dyśko

Prof. dr hab. Stanisław Kaniszewski

Dr Waldemar Kowalczyk

The influence of drainage water from greenhouse soilless culture on pollution of shallow groundwater

Basic greenhouse vegetables in Poland are grown in open soilless system in which an excess of nutrient solution leaking from area of root system is discharged into the ground or drains of greenhouses. Drainage water from the growing slabs is more concentrated than nutrient solution supplied for plants. The aim of research conducted in the years 2010 - 2012 was to determine the effect of drainage water from soilless cultivation of tomato and cucumber on the mineral content in shallow groundwater occurring in objects of cultivation and in their neighborhood. Water samples for chemical analyzes were collected at intervals of three weeks from the piezometers located in greenhouses and adjacent areas within 25 and 300 m from the object. . The results of chemical analyzes of water indicate an increase in the degree of pollution of the waters of mineral nutrients. Ground water directly under soilless cultivated plants were contaminated almost all mineral nutrients that are in media fertilizers. Groundwater in significant quantities from entering nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Contamination of ground water in the cucumber crop was at a similar level as in tomato cultivation. Mineral content in the groundwater decreased with increasing distance from the objects ...

Leszek B. Orlikowski

Prof. dr hab. Waldemar Treder

Mgr Magdalena Ptaszek

Aleksandra Trzewik

Dr Waldemar Kowalczyk

Urszula Łazęcka

NECESSITY OF DISINFECTING WATER FOR CROP IRRIGATION

The purpose of that article was to show the significance of water as the source of plant pathogens, and need of it effective disinfection methods in modern agriculture and horticulture. The increase in the cost of agricultural water use for crop irrigation and the necessity of using the same water several times, as well as the changing climatic conditions, including prolonged shortage of atmospheric precipitation and often extreme temperatures during the summer, necessitate the selection of an effective, easy to apply and economical method of disinfecting recirculated water to eliminate or minimize the occurrence of the most serious plant pathogens inhabiting various water sources. Among them, microorganisms of the genera Phytophthora, Pythium and Fusarium, and the species Rhizoctonia solani, Verticillium dahliae and some pathogenic bacteria pose the most serious threat. Some of them can be found in rivers, streams, ponds and water reservoirs, others are soil-borne pathogens that cause root and stem base rot of many plant species. The available literature describes at least a dozen methods of water disinfection, among them slow filtration through sand or lava filters, chlorination and heating. The literature data indicates that the use of sand filters is the most effective, safe and cheapest ...