Evaluating Species-Specific Replenishment Solution Effects on Plant Growth and Root Zone Nutrients with Hydroponic Arugula (Eruca sativa L.) and Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

ABSTRACT:

The abstract must have a rationale, an objective, materials and methods, results, and conclusions. The first sentence must be a rationale and please write a problem statement for this study about the formulating hydroponic replenishment solutions using mass balance principles has been proposed as a strategy to reduce root zone nutrient imbalances and the need to periodically replace the hydroponic solution over time. Please mention that this formulating hydroponic replenishment solutions using mass balance principles should be done under controlled environmental condition. The authors should be specific to the target crop. The authors should mention the treatments and experimental design to explain the main findings in the second point.

INTRODUCTION:
The introduction section is relatively short and very good; however, there are some spaces for authors to enhance its quality further, which are as follows:

1-Lines 64-74: There is no need to insert information about the experiments in the introduction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The materials and methods subtitles should be arranged as the following:

1. Experimental site

2. Hydroponics setup and growing conditions.

3. Experimental design and treatments.

4. Nutrient solution preparation and management

5. Plant materials

6. Plant tissue analysis

8. Statistical analysis

The materials and methods are missing these points.

1.      The schematic diagram of the experimental setup of the hydroponics system and the experimental layout is not clear.

2.      The method of applying the chemical fertilizer and the time for application is lacking; one of the most critical points in this study is how to apply the chemical fertilizer by drip irrigation or what.

3.      What about the crop planting density.

4.      The life cycle duration of each plant's vegetative growth is not mentioned. What about the planting density per square meter?

5.      The experiment started on day month year and ended on day month year. For example, the experiment started on 22 June 2019 and ended on 22 September 2019; the first cycle and for the second cycle started on 22 June 2020 and ended on 22 September 2020.

6.      Why the EC and pH not controlled?

7.      Please determine what is control treatments in Factors A and B are for both experiments.

Please delete the repeated information from experiment 1 and 2.

 

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results and discussion section must be presented separately and Under specific subtitles.

The discussion section must be presented under certain subtitles, as the authors did for the results. This means as the authors presented their results under certain subtitles in Results, are they also suggesting developing subtitles under the Discussion section? The authors mostly only compare their results with the literature's results. However, they do not discuss the mechanisms by which the results are obtained.

Conclusion

The conclusion should have the main findings only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response

Thank you for your review, I found your comments very helpful. I tried to make corrections as best as possible per your suggestions. Please see my responses to your comments attached and in red.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

A balanced nutrient supply is essential for the healthy growth of plants in hydroponic systems. However, the commonly used electrical conductivity (EC)-based nutrient control for plant cultivation can provide amounts of nutrients that are excessive or inadequate for proper plant growth. The research presented in the paper is interesting and has a significant application potential.

Please see the following comments and correct accordingly

1.     The introduction is too general and should be supplemented.

- Among other things, it should be explained why basil and arugula were selected as test plants, present the specific needs of these plants for macronutrients, and present published research results in this field.

- the content of lines 64-71 describing the scope of experiments should be included in the research methods; if they remain in the introduction, it should be noted that the scope of the research included 2 experiments.

2.     Material and Methods:

-       line 82 (Dickson et al. (2016)) the way of citing the literature should be changed

-       line 106 - "...1-ft..." - should be given in centimeters

-       line 201 - 202 "the remaining macronutrients were measured using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES) at the Fayetteville Agricultural Diagnostic Lab 203 (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR)". Describe how the plant material for the study was prepared

3.     Results

-       from table 1 - please check and correct page numbering

-       the paper discusses the results that the authors describe as "data not shown" ( e.g. line 306-306 and othet). These results should be reported in the manuscript or in Supplementary Materials. If the results were published in another work, the source should be given.

4.     Discussion

-       The "Discussion" section should be corrected. Own results were partially compared with literature data in the chapter "Results". In the form presented in the work, the discussion is rather a summary. Part of the content of the discussion should be included in the "Introduction" section.

Please extend the introduction and discussion by adding more references

Author Response

Thank you for your comments, I found them very helpful. Please see my responses to your feedback attached and in red.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

the manuscript is interesting, with very useful results for hydroponic systems. To be accepted for publication, the introduction and discussion must first be expanded, I also suggest updating and including more references.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you for your comments and I found them very helpful. I aimed to make the corrections you suggested. Please see my responses attached and in red.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors improved the manuscript according to the comments. 

 

Reviewer 2 Report

I thank the Authors of the manuscript for the clarifications sent in response to my comments and for incorporating the comments into the revised manuscript. In my opinion, the work in its current form can be published.