Abstract

Author:
Abul-Soud M. A., M. S. A. Emam, A. A. Farag and W. Bazaraa

Doi: 10.26480/trab.01.2024.01.10

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

To maximize Gerbera production and avoid the different problems of soil, water shortage and climate change impacts, substrate culture performed an efficient technique for producing Gerbera flowers sustainability under greenhouse conditions. The investigation was conducted at the Central Laboratory for Agriculture Climate (CLAC), Agriculture Research Center, Egypt under greenhouse conditions during two cultivated winter seasons of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. The smart system used for monitoring the micro-climate and environmental conditions for providing smart farming management system. The study investigating the effect and potentiality of different substrates peat moss : perlite (P:P 1:1 v/v) in different system (bags (40 and 30 L, pots (10 and 7.5 L) and container) compared to coco peat bags (CP) and rock wool bags (RW) with two densities (70 and 100) on Gerbera production. Micro-climate records (air temperature, and relative humidity) and environmental detections (substrate moisture, and EC and level of nutrient solution tanks) were sensing by different sensors to provide smart monitoring and alarm system for different substrate types and systems. The vegetative characteristics and yield parameters as well as bio chemical and chemical analysis were recorded. The revealed results indicated that peat moss : perlite substrate had the highest significant values of vegetative characteristics and yield parameters of Gerbera compared to other substrates. Also, increasing the substrate volume or density led to an increase in the vegetative characteristics and yield parameters of Gerbera. Container P: P followed by bags P: P followed by Pots P: P 10 gave the highest significant results of the vegetative characteristics, yield parameters and bio chemical and chemical analysis of gerbera while the lowest values recorded by bags RW followed by bags CP. The economic impact assessment promoted strongly the implement of Pots P: P 10 followed by Container P: P which presented the highest net profit of Gerbera production that matched the study recommendation.