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2026 Vol.35, Issue 1 Preview Page

Original Articles

Water Uptake Characteristics and Growth Responses of Grafted Tomato Transplants under Different Sub-irrigation Frequencies in a Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting

인공광 이용형 식물공장 환경에서 저면관수 빈도에 따른 토마토 접목묘의 수분흡수 특성과 생육 반응

Seon Woo Park1*
박 선우1*
1Professor, Department of Digital Cooperative Management, Agricultural Cooperative University, Goyang 10292, Korea
1농협대학교 협동조합디지털경영과 교수
*Corresponding Author
31 January 2026. pp. 10-16
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Abstract

This study was conducted to determine an appropriate sub-irrigation frequency for producing grafted tomato transplants in a plant factory with artificial lighting. Three irrigation frequencies were evaluated: twice per day, once per day, and once every two days. Daily water absorption did not differ among treatments during the early growth stage (0－3 days after treatment), but once-per-day irrigation showed the highest values during days 4－9, after which its levels became similar to those of twice-per-day irrigation. In contrast, once-every-two-days irrigation consistently resulted in the lowest daily water absorption throughout the experiment. Accumulated water absorption exhibited similar trends, with twice-per-day and once-per-day irrigation showing comparable increases, whereas once-every-two-days irrigation remained substantially lower. Growth analysis revealed that once-every-two-days irrigation led to reduced plant height, leaf number, fresh weight, and dry weight, indicating growth suppression caused by repeated root-zone water deficits. Although twice-per-day irrigation produced the most vigorous growth, it required the largest amount of water and nutrient solution, reducing resource-use efficiency. In contrast, once-per-day irrigation-maintained growth parameters comparable to those under twice-per-day irrigation while markedly reducing total water use, thereby achieving a favorable balance between growth stability and resource efficiency. Excessively frequent irrigation during the early post-grafting stage was also found to disrupt the air–water balance within the substrate, potentially hindering root establishment. Overall, these findings indicate that once-per-day sub-irrigation is an appropriate basic irrigation strategy for efficient and stable production of grafted tomato transplants in plant factories with artificial lighting and may serve as a foundation for future research on automated irrigation control and transplant production systems across various cultivars and tray specifications.

Keywords
irrigation strategy
resource-use efficiency
Solanum lycopersicum
water absorption
water deficit

본 연구는 인공광 이용형 식물공장 환경에서 접목 후 토마토 접목묘 생산에 적합한 저면관수 빈도를 규명하고자 수행되었다. 관수 빈도는 1일 2회, 1일 1회, 2일 1회의 세 수준으로 설정하였다. 일일 수분흡수량은 재배 초기에는 처리 간 차이가 없었으나, 접목 후 4－9일 구간에서 1일 1회 관수가 가장 높은 값을 보였고, 이후 시기에는 1일 2회 관수와 유사하게 유지되었다. 반면 2일 1회 관수는 전 기간 동안 일관되게 낮은 수분흡수량을 나타냈다. 누적 수분흡수량 역시 1일 2회와 1일 1회 관수에서 유사한 증가 양상을 보였으며, 2일 1회 관수는 두 처리보다 낮은 수준이었다. 생육 특성에서는 2일 1회 관수에서 초장, 엽수, 생체중 및 건물중이 전반적으로 저하되었다. 1일 2회 관수는 생육이 가장 우수하였으나, 수분·양액 사용량이 가장 많아 자원 효율성이 낮았다. 반면 1일 1회 관수는 대부분의 생육지표가 1일 2회 관수와 유사한 수준을 유지하면서도 수분 사용량을 크게 줄여, 생육 안정성과 자원 이용 효율 간의 균형을 달성한 관수 수준으로 평가되었다. 또한 접목 후 초기 단계에서는 과도하게 잦은 관수가 배지 내 공기－수분 균형을 저해하여 뿌리 활착에 불리하게 작용할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 본 연구 결과는 인공광형 식물공장에서 접목 후 토마토 접목묘를 안정적이고 효율적으로 생산하기 위한 기본 관수 전략으로 1일 1회 저면관수가 적합함을 제시하며, 이는 향후 자동 관수 제어 기술 개발과 다양한 품종 및 트레이 규격에 대한 연구의 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

키워드
관수전략
수분 결핍
수분흡수
자원 이용 효율
Solanum Lycopersicum
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society for Bio-Environment Control
  • Publisher(Ko) :(사)한국생물환경조절학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Bio-Environment Control
  • Journal Title(Ko) :생물환경조절학회지
  • Volume : 35
  • No :1
  • Pages :10-16
  • Received Date : 2025-12-12
  • Revised Date : 2026-01-01
  • Accepted Date : 2026-01-02
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.12791/KSBEC.2026.35.1.010
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