Exogenous Sugar Applications: A deeper look
The application of external sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose) to adult plants has generated interest as a potential biostimulant strategy, with research revealing complex concentration-dependent effects that range from beneficial to…
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Ascorbic Acid as a Biostimulant: Alleviating Stress to Improve Yield and Quality in Hydroponic Systems
The search for sustainable biostimulants to enhance crop productivity has led researchers to investigate ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a promising alternative to synthetic growth regulators. This natural antioxidant compound…
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Organic Sulfur Foliar Sprays: Beyond Sulfate Salts for Hydroponic Crops
Most hydroponic growers think of sulfur supplementation strictly in terms of sulfate salts like magnesium sulfate or potassium sulfate. However, plants can also utilize reduced organic sulfur compounds that offer…
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Creating an Effective “Greener” Foliar Spray from Raw Salts to Combat Yellowing in Productive Crops
Yellowing in productive crops represents one of the most common symptoms growers face when nutrient availability becomes limiting. While root zone nutrition remains the foundation of crop feeding, foliar applications…
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Using Glycine Betaine as a Biostimulant
Glycine betaine is a biostimulant that has been explored for stress mitigation and quality enhancement in hydroponic and soilless culture. However, there is substantial confusion about effective concentrations, application methods,…
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Methods to Enhance Terpene Production
Introduction Terpenes are a large and diverse group of natural compounds that constitute the most abundant class of plant secondary metabolites. These volatile organic compounds play critical roles in plant…
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Exogenous Terpenes in Agriculture: Can External Application Improve Crop Performance?
Terpenes are among the most diverse and abundant secondary metabolites produced by plants. While these compounds are well known for their roles in plant defense and stress responses, recent research…
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An Expanded View on Root Zone Temperature in Soilless and Hydroponic Systems
When we think about optimizing hydroponic systems, most growers focus on nutrient concentrations, pH levels, and lighting conditions. However, one of the most critical yet often overlooked factors that can…
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NIR Devices for Leaf Tissue Mineral Analysis
Traditional leaf tissue analysis can cost 50 to 150 USD per sample and take weeks to complete, forcing growers to make nutrient decisions based on outdated information. Near infrared (NIR)…
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Oxygenation of Nutrient Reservoirs in Substrate-Based Soilless Crops
When growers new to hydroponics start working with soilless systems, one of the first questions that comes up is whether they should be actively aerating their nutrient solutions. Air stones…
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