tenyearsofhydroponiclettuceresearch-中心沿革.PDFVIP

TEN YEARS OF HYDROPONIC LETTUCE RESEARCH A.J. Both Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist in Controlled Environment Agriculture Bioresource Engineering, Department of Plant Biology and Pathology Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 20 Ag Extension Way New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA Abstract This review article describes the highlights of ten years of hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa; butterhead lettuce) research conducted at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA) throughout most of the nineties. Bot h the nutrient film technique (NFT) and the deep flow system were used for experimentation. Supplemental lighting and CO enrichment 2 strategies were developed in an attempt to minimize the crop production cycle while producing tipburn-free lettuce. A computer model was developed to simulate hydroponic lettuce production under different environment conditions and plant spacings. Based on the research findings, a commercially scaled pilot greenhouse facility was designed, constructed, and operated to demonstrate the economic feasibility of hydroponic lettuce production in upstate New York, USA. Introduction Cornell Universitys Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Program has been involved in greenhouse hydroponic lettuce production research since 1991. This research and development effort has received major financial support from local utility companies and state energy organizations because these organizations were interested in identifying industries that could use electricity during off-peak hours. One of the main goals of the research has been to develop a production system for fresh, high-quality, pesticide-free hydroponic lettuce that is produced close to the final retail market. This proximity to final market would increase product freshness and reduce the transportation costs involved with shipping produce over large distances as is customary in