38
Introduction
:Dter PDnDgePent eIficiency is Dn essentiDO IDctor
in the SrofitDbOe cXOtiYDtion oI non Iood croSs Zith
ornDPentDO SODnts
2Yer the yeDrs considerDbOe reseDrch hDs been cDrried oXt
on irrigDtion strDtegies Zith the DiP oI deYeOoSing soOXtions
Zhich ZoXOd ensXre enhDnced ZDter Xse eIficiency ZhiOe
Dt the sDPe tiPe PDNing OittOe or no indent into the groZer·
s Srofit PDrgin
7he generDO consensXs in the SODnt nXrsery indXstry is thDt
eIficient DXtoPDted irrigDtion Pethods rePDin D necessity
in SroIessionDO cXOtiYDtion Dnd Pethods ePSOoyed shoXOd
be bDsed on SroSer cDOibrDtion oI DOO DsSects oI the
greenhoXse enYironPent tDNing in soODr rDdiDtion Dir
tePSerDtXre Dnd reODtiYe hXPidity Ds ZeOO Ds SODnt cDnoSy
tePSerDtXre OeDI trDnsSirDtion Dnd or sXbstrDte PoistXre
OeYeO
'esSite these concOXsions hDYing been drDZn drDZn
soPe DsSects reODted to the TXDntities oI irrigDtion
ZDter to be Ied to the SODnt rePDin incoPSOeteOy
cODrified esSeciDOOy in the DreDs chDrDcterized by high
tePSerDtXre Dnd OoZ reODtiYe hXPidity
)or thDt reDson IXrther stXdies to gDin D greDter
XnderstDnding on the inÁXence oI ZDter sXSSOies Ior
ornDPentDO croSs Zere recentOy cDrried oXt 7he DiP
oI the stXdy ZDs SroYide D Pore in deSth definition oI
DSSroSriDte irrigDtion SrotocoOs Ior high TXDOity SrodXction
Dnd redXced ZDter Xse in the 0editerrDneDn or high
tePSerDtXre cOiPDtes
7o XnderstDnd Pore D series oI reseDrch ZDs cDrried
oXt on the irrigDtion PDnDgePent oI roses 7he reseDrch
tooN SODce in 6iciOy in the 6oXth oI the coXntry D region
chDrDcterized by its PiOd Zinters Dnd hot dry sXPPers
,n this triDO diIIerent irrigDtion controO Pethods bDsed on
cOiPDtic SDrDPeters Zere coPSDred 7he integrDted soODr
rDdiDtion systeP Xsed ZDs identified Ds the Post obMectiYe
Dnd eIIectiYe Pethod Ior the oSerDtion oI Dn DXtoPDted
irrigDtion systeP Ds thoXgh restrictiYe Zith ZDter sXSSOy
the systeP did not OiPit SODnt groZth neither ÁoZers
SrodXction Dnd TXDOity
7he triDOs Zere condXcted on rose SODnts groZn Xnder D
soiOOess SODtIorP Xnder decreDsing ZDter sXSSOies
7he oYerDOO DiP oI the stXdy ZDs to eYDOXDte the eIIects
oI diIIerent irrigDtion regiPes on cXt rose yieOd Dnd TXDOity
bDsed on soODr rDdiDtion YDOXes
Materials and methods
Greenhouse Facilities and Plant Material
7he triDO ZDs cDrried oXt oYer D Seriod oI MXst oYer
one yeDr in Dn XnheDted (28°C day/14°C night) singOe
sSDn (: oriented greenhoXse (25 meters × 8 meters)
bXiOt on D steeO strXctXre Dnd coYered in PP thicN
SoOyethyOene 7he greenhoXse ZDs sitXDted Zithin the
5eseDrch 8nit Ior 0editerrDneDn )OoZer 6Secies neDr
3DOerPo in the coDstDO SODin oI 1orth :estern 6iciOy
3ODnts oI the cXOtiYDr ¶5ed )rDnce· grDIted on 5osD
indiciD PDMor rootstocN Zere groZn in / SoOyethyOene
bDgs fiOOed Zith D Pi[tXre oI coconXt coir dXst Dnd SerOite
cXOtiYDted Zithin D sePi cOosed hydroSonic systeP
Measuring the effect
of irrigation regimes
on the yield and quality
of Hydroponic Cut Roses
Efficient automated irrigation
methods remain a necessity in
professional cultivation