Abstract
Fertigation systems in high-tech greenhouses improve crop performance by optimising water and nutrient use, which is critical for sustainable food production. Electrical conductivity (EC), an indicator of nutrient content in fertigation solutions, reflects the electrolyte concentrations and significantly influences plant growth and resource use efficiency. This study evaluated the productivity and quality of two cucumber varieties, Lebanese and Continental, grown under three EC levels (1.0, 2.5, and 3.5 dS/m) in high-tech greenhouses. The EC 2.5 fertigation led to the highest cucumber yields, enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality. Key physiological responses , such as net photosynthesis , stomatal conductance , and transpiration rates, remained stable across EC levels, while electron transport rates were highest at EC 2.5. Highlighting the potential benefits of maintained fertigation in glasshouse the study revealed that EC 2.5 performed better in maintaining the shelf life of fruits at 2 °C and 7 °C. The study also showed significant differential expression of potassium transporter genes, which correlated with yield and WUE, highlighting the molecular link between fertigation management and plant responses. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the three fertigation levels in Qatar and Australia revealed that the greenhouse cucumber business in Australia can break even in 3–5 years. The highest net present value was recorded in EC 2.5, with Australia achieving 31.3 USD m −2· year −1 and Qatar 13.1 USD m −2· year −1 . These findings suggest that optimised fertigation levels could enhance resource sustainability, crop performance, and economic viability in greenhouse cucumber production, particularly in water-scarce and extreme climate regions.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
EC 2.5 fertigation gave the highest cucumber yields.
- Taxon
- cucumbers
Cucumis sativust0 - Treatment
- EC 2.5 fertigatione0
- Outcome
- cucumber yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The EC 2.5 fertigation led to the highest cucumber yields, enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality.”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
EC 2.5 fertigation enhanced water use efficiency and fruit quality.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC 2.5 fertigatione0
- Outcome
- water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit qualitye0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The EC 2.5 fertigation led to the highest cucumber yields, enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and fruit quality.”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration remained stable across EC levels.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC levelse0
- Outcome
- net photosynthesis , stomatal conductance , and transpiration ratese0
- Direction
- remained stablee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“net photosynthesis , stomatal conductance , and transpiration rates, remained stable across EC levels”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
Electron transport rate was highest at EC 2.5.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC 2.5e0
- Outcome
- electron transport ratese0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“electron transport rates were highest at EC 2.5.”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
EC 2.5 better maintained fruit shelf life at 2 °C and 7 °C.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC 2.5e0
- Outcome
- shelf life of fruitse0
- Direction
- bettere0
- Qualifier
- 2 °C and 7 °Ce0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“EC 2.5 performed better in maintaining the shelf life of fruits at 2 °C and 7 °C.”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium transporter genes showed differential expression across fertigation conditions.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Gene
- potassium transporter genese0
- Outcome
- differential expressione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“significant differential expression of potassium transporter genes”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium transporter gene expression correlated with yield and WUE.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Gene
- potassium transporter genese0
- Outcome
- yield and WUEe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“potassium transporter genes, which correlated with yield and WUE”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
Australian greenhouse cucumber operations could break even in 3–5 years.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- break evene0
- Value
- 3–5 yearse0
- Setting
- Australiae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the greenhouse cucumber business in Australia can break even in 3–5 years.”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
EC 2.5 gave the highest net present value in Australia, 31.3 USD m −2· year −1.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC 2.5e0
- Outcome
- net present valuee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 31.3 USD m −2· year −1e0
- Setting
- Australiae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest net present value was recorded in EC 2.5, with Australia achieving 31.3 USD m −2· year −1 and Qatar 13.1 USD m −2· year −1 .”
t0“cucumbers”
Claim · model-written summary
EC 2.5 gave the highest net present value in Qatar, 13.1 USD m −2· year −1.
- Taxon
- cucumbersCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- EC 2.5e0
- Outcome
- net present valuee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 13.1 USD m −2· year −1e0
- Setting
- Qatare0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The highest net present value was recorded in EC 2.5, with Australia achieving 31.3 USD m −2· year −1 and Qatar 13.1 USD m −2· year −1 .”
t0“cucumbers”
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See all 288 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.