Grigas Andrius, Steponavičius Dainius, Bručienė Indrė, Krikštolaitis Ričardas, Krilavičius Tomas, Steponavičienė Aušra, Savickas Dainius
Faculty of Engineering, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Studentų St. 15A, Akademija, LT-53362 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Faculty of Informatics, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Jul 14;14(14):2166. doi: 10.3390/plants14142166.
This study investigated the effects of macronutrient type and concentration on the biomass yield and biochemical composition of hydroponically grown wheat sprouts (HWS), with the aim of identifying fertilization strategies that optimize both productivity and feed quality. HWS were cultivated using a nutrient film technique over a 7-day period under controlled environmental conditions, with treatments including calcium nitrate (CN1-CN3), potassium phosphate (CP1-CP3), potassium sulfate (CK1-CK2), and a balanced NPK 20-20-20 fertilizer (NPK1-NPK3), each applied at three increasing concentrations. The quantitative parameters assessed included biomass yield per unit of dry seed (DP, kg kg) and dry matter content (DM, %), while qualitative traits included crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), and ash content. Results indicated that balanced NPK fertilization significantly enhanced performance, with NPK3 achieving the highest biomass yield (6.39 kg kg), CP (24.26%), CF (5.63%), and ash (16.0%) content. In contrast, CN3 treatments reduced yield (4.84 kg kg) despite increasing CP (19.65%), indicating trade-offs between nitrogen enrichment and vegetative expansion. Phosphorus-based treatments (CP2-CP3) improved nutrient density without suppressing yield. Regression analyses revealed strong correlations between DM and both CF (R = 0.81) and ash (R = 0.71), supporting their utility as indirect indicators of feed quality. EE content remained stable (2.07-2.67%) across all treatments, suggesting its limited responsiveness to macronutrient manipulation. These findings highlight the importance of nutrient synergy in hydroponic systems and provide a practical framework for tailoring fertilization regimes to meet specific agronomic and nutritional objectives in precision livestock feeding and provide practical guidance for optimizing hydroponic livestock feed production.
本研究调查了常量营养素类型和浓度对水培小麦芽苗（HWS）生物量产量和生化组成的影响，目的是确定优化生产力和饲料质量的施肥策略。在可控环境条件下，使用营养液膜技术在7天内培育HWS，处理包括硝酸钙（CN1 - CN3）、磷酸钾（CP1 - CP3）、硫酸钾（CK1 - CK2）和平衡的NPK 20 - 20 - 20肥料（NPK1 - NPK3），每种肥料均以三种递增浓度施用。评估的定量参数包括单位干种子的生物量产量（DP，kg/kg）和干物质含量（DM，%），而定性特征包括粗蛋白（CP）、乙醚提取物（EE）、粗纤维（CF）和灰分含量。结果表明，平衡的NPK施肥显著提高了性能，NPK3实现了最高的生物量产量（6.39 kg/kg）、CP（24.26%）、CF（5.63%）和灰分（16.0%）含量。相比之下，CN3处理尽管CP增加（19.65%），但产量降低（4.84 kg/kg），表明氮富集与营养生长扩展之间存在权衡。基于磷的处理（CP2 - CP3）提高了营养密度而不抑制产量。回归分析显示DM与CF（R = 0.81）和灰分（R = 0.71）之间存在强相关性，支持它们作为饲料质量间接指标的效用。所有处理的EE含量保持稳定（2.07 - 2.67%），表明其对常量营养素操作的响应有限。这些发现突出了水培系统中营养协同作用的重要性，并为调整施肥方案以满足精准家畜饲养中特定的农艺和营养目标提供了实用框架，为优化水培家畜饲料生产提供了实际指导。
