Greenhouse Management for Better Vegetable Quality, Higher Nutrient Use Efficiency and Healthier Soil

• Other Authors: Hu, Xiaohui (Editor), Song, Shiwei (Editor), Li, Xun (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2023
• Subjects: Research & information: general; Biology, life sciences; daily light integral; cucumber seedling; seedling quality; flower development; boron; application methods; growth; fruit quality; tomato; protected greenhouse; soilless culture; poultry manure; yield enhancement; cucumber; univariate analysis; multivariate analysis; nutrient uptake; sweet onion; nerokremmydo; aeroponic; floating; nutrient film technique; bulb; application rate; nitrate; organic acid; soil-borne pathogens; soil pH; sulfate; growth rate; root morphology; ammonium to nitrate ratio; nutrient solution composition; nitrogen efficiency; net assimilation rate (NAR); leaf nitrogen; fruit temperature; dry matter; chlorophyll; microbial activity; organic fertilizer; plastic shed cultivation system; reductive soil disinfestation; soil quality; aromatic substances; carbon exportation; flavor quality; nutrient and function indicator; overall appearance; microbial community; microbial function; co-occurrence network; soil ecosystem; alternate drip irrigation under mulch; water; zeolite amount; tomato growth; water use efficiency; principal component; solar radiation; humidity; temperature; irrigation water use efficiency; yield; n/a
• Online Access: DOAB: download the publication; DOAB: description of the publication

Greenhouse cultivation provides an artificially controlled environment for the year-round production of vegetables, and has played an increasingly important role in agriculture production systems in recent decades. Recent works have shown that improving greenhouse conditions can promote the growth of vegetables and enhance the uptake of nutrients, leading to better vegetable quality. Meanwhile, greenhouse conditions not only directly influence soil nutrient cycling processes and properties, but also indirectly affect them by regulating vegetable root growth and plant-soil interactions. This Special Issue features twelve original research articles that deal with the effects of novel greenhouse practices and strategies on the yield and quality of horticulture crops, as well as greenhouse soil properties. Among these publications, three studied the effects of fertilizers, including organic and macro- and micro-nutrient fertilizers, on the growth and nutrient uptake of vegetables. Two articles described the effects of water and nutrient supply using irrigation or hydroponic supplying systems on the yield and quality of vegetables. Four articles investigated the effects of environmental conditions (mainly light and temperature) on the growth and quality of vegetables. In terms of degenerated greenhouse soil, three articles showed how reductive soil disinfestation decreased soil salinity, improved soil quality, and inactivated soil-borne pathogens.