D-Andrade Luis, Escalante-Garcia Nivia, Olvera-Gonzalez Ernesto, Orsini Francesco, Pennisi Giuseppina, de Luna Felix Vega, Silos-Espino Hector, Najera Cinthia
Laboratorio de Iluminación Artificial, Tecnológico Nacional de México/IT de Pabellón de Arteaga, Carretera a la Estación de Rincón Km. 1, Aguascalientes 20670, Mexico.
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Jul 5;14(13):2060. doi: 10.3390/plants14132060.
Vertical farming systems offer an efficient solution for sustainable food production in urban areas. However, managing nitrate (NO) levels remains a significant challenge for improving crop yield, quality, and safety. This study evaluated the effects of nitrate availability on growth performance, nutrient uptake, and water use efficiency in a vertical hydroponic system that intercropped lettuce () with alfalfa (). The experiment was conducted in a controlled vertical hydroponic system using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) channels, with nitrogen levels set at 0, 33, 66, 100, and 133% of the standard concentration. The results indicated that the intercropping treatment with 66% nitrate (IC-N) improved water use efficiency by 38% and slightly increased leaf area compared to the other intercropping treatments. However, the control group, which consisted of a monoculture with full nitrate supply, achieved the highest overall biomass. Ion concentrations, including nitrate, calcium, magnesium, and micronutrients, were moderately affected by the intercropping strategy and nitrate levels. These findings suggest that moderate nitrate input, combined with nitrogen-fixing legumes, can enhance resource efficiency in hydroponic systems without significantly compromising yield. These findings offer a promising framework for incorporating legumes into hydroponic systems, minimizing the need for synthetic inputs while maintaining yield. These results support the use of agroecological intensification strategies in highly efficient soilless systems.
垂直种植系统为城市地区可持续粮食生产提供了一种高效解决方案。然而，管理硝酸盐（NO）水平仍然是提高作物产量、品质和安全性的一项重大挑战。本研究评估了硝酸盐有效性对垂直水培系统中生菜（）与苜蓿（）间作时生长性能、养分吸收和水分利用效率的影响。实验在一个使用营养液膜技术（NFT）渠道的受控垂直水培系统中进行，氮水平设定为标准浓度的0%、33%、66%、100%和133%。结果表明，与其他间作处理相比，66%硝酸盐（IC-N）的间作处理使水分利用效率提高了38%，叶面积略有增加。然而，由完全供应硝酸盐的单作组成的对照组获得了最高的总生物量。包括硝酸盐、钙、镁和微量营养素在内的离子浓度受到间作策略和硝酸盐水平的适度影响。这些发现表明，适度的硝酸盐输入与固氮豆科植物相结合，可以提高水培系统的资源效率，而不会显著降低产量。这些发现为将豆科植物纳入水培系统提供了一个有前景的框架，在维持产量的同时最大限度地减少对合成投入物的需求。这些结果支持在高效无土系统中使用农业生态强化策略。
