Journal of Bio-Environment Control ISSN:1229-4675(Print) 2765-3641(Online) 생물환경조절학회지

Strawberry cultivation in Korea is grown in greenhouse, but most farms manage their water supply using a timer control method based on the experience of growers. The timer control has problems in that it is difficult to consider the weather condition, the growth stage of crops, and the moisture content of the substrate, so that the crops cannot be managed at an optimal level, and the accuracy of cultivation management are lacking. The watering methods using integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture contents are control systems that provide eco-friendly and precise water supply considering the growth conditions of crops. The purpose of this study was to compare the combined water supply control with integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture contents and timer control method in hydroponic cultivation of strawberries using coir, and to set the optimal integrated solar irradiance level for complex water supply control. The irrigation system was automatically watered when it reached 100, 150, 250 J·cm^-2 based on the external solar irradiance, and forced irrigation was performed at a substrate moisture content of less than 60% in all treatments. The amount of irrigation at once was 50 mL. The timer treatment was applied as a control. The smaller the level of integrated radiation to start watering, the greater the daily amount of irrigation. Both the fresh weight and dry weight per plant were higher in the complex irrigation control method than the timer control, and the 100 and 150 J·cm^-2 treatment had the highest fresh weight, and the 100 J·cm^-2 treatment showed a significantly higher dry weight. The yield was also significantly higher in the complex control method than in the timer, and the early yield increased as the level of integrated solar irradiance was smaller. The fresh weight of fruit was the lowest in the timer-controlled irrigation. As a result of this study, the possibility of combined control irrigation method using integrated solar irradiance and substrate moisture content was confirmed for precise water supply management of strawberries in hydroponics.