Determination of micronutrient uptake in greenhouse cucumber crop using a modeling approach

Abstract

"Control of micronutrients application in cucumber cultivation has great importance as they participate in many functions of metabolism. In addition, micronutrients application efficiency is fundamental to avoid periods of overconsumption or deficit in the crop. In order to determine the micronutrient uptake using a dynamic model, two cycles of Vitaly and Luxell cucumber crops were developed. During the development of the crop, micronutrients content (Fe, B, Mn, Cu and Zn) in the different organs of the cucumber plant was quantified. The model dynamically simulated the accumulation of biomass and micronutrients, using the climatic variables recorded inside the greenhouse as inputs. It was found that a decrease in the photosynthetically active radiation and in the temperature significantly diminishes the accumulation of biomass by cucumber plants. On the other hand, the results demonstrate that the model efficiently simulates both the accumulation of biomass and micronutrients uptake in cucumber crop. The indices used for the evaluation of efficiency showed values higher than 0.95. This dynamic model can be useful to define adequate strategies for the management of cucumber cultivation in greenhouses as well as the application of micronutrients."