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Agronomy
Special Issues
Development of Biofortified Vegetables in Soilless Cultivation Systems
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Development of Biofortified Vegetables in Soilless Cultivation Systems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 3949

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eloy Navarro-León

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Physiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: crop science; plant nutrition; nutrient management; plant physiology; crop production; plant biology
Dr. Esteban Sánchez-Chávez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Food and Development A.C., Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Interests: agronomy; crop production; biofortification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the amount of cultivable land is shrinking due in part to soil impoverishment caused by intensive agriculture. This problem is compounded by the increasing demand for nutritional quality food and the current climate change scenario. Thus, the reduced availability of water and nutrients makes it necessary to develop alternative cultivation methods to traditional agriculture, such as soilless cultivation systems. Research is needed to optimize these systems, develop new substrates, and include more species. In addition, the optimization of nutrient solutions and physical–chemical conditions is interesting to optimize the accumulation of nutrients in the edible parts of the plants (biofortification). A better understanding of nutrient absorption and transport in plants is needed to avoid precipitation, antagonisms, and to optimize their uptake and accumulation. Likewise, the inclusion of new technologies such as better sensors, and data processing methods based on machine learning can greatly boost biofortification in these cultivation systems.

In this Special Issue, we aim to disseminate new knowledge about improvements in any aspects of soilless cropping systems to obtain biofortified vegetables with essential nutrients.

Dr. Eloy Navarro-León
Dr. Esteban Sánchez-Chávez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biofortification
  • cultivation systems
  • growing media
  • hydroponics
  • nutrients
  • nutritive solution
  • smart agriculture
  • sustainability
  • water efficiency
  • yield

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 41139 KiB  
Article
How to Efficiently Produce the Selenium-Enriched Cucumber Fruit with High Yield and Qualities via Hydroponic Cultivation? The Balance between Selenium Supply and CO2 Fertilization
by Ziying Wang, Di Li, Nazim S. Gruda, Chunwu Zhu, Zengqiang Duan and Xun Li
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030922 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1417
Abstract
Hydroponic-producing selenium (Se)-biofortified vegetables in a greenhouse is a convenient and effective way to provide Se-enriched food and overcome hidden hunger. CO2 fertilization is commonly implemented to increase vegetable yield in greenhouse production. However, this application accompanies decreased mineral concentrations in the [...] Read more.
Hydroponic-producing selenium (Se)-biofortified vegetables in a greenhouse is a convenient and effective way to provide Se-enriched food and overcome hidden hunger. CO2 fertilization is commonly implemented to increase vegetable yield in greenhouse production. However, this application accompanies decreased mineral concentrations in the edible parts. Here we investigated the effects of [CO2] and Se supply on the growth, gas exchange, and cucumber fruit quality. A hydroponic experiment with two CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) (C1: 410, and C2: 1200 μmol mol−1) and four Se supply levels (Se0: 0, Se1: 0.125, Se2: 0.250, and Se3: 0.500 mg Se L−1) was carried out. A low level of Se supply (Se1: 0.125 mg Se L−1) protected the photosynthetic pigments and stimulated the stomatal opening, especially under [CO2] fertilization. It leads to a higher net photosynthesis rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) than other Se treatments. The most significant changes in dry weight, fruit yield, and soluble sugar concentration were also obtained in Se1 under CO2 fertilization due to the enhanced CO2 fixation. Meanwhile, the Se concentration in fruit was 0.63 mg kg−1 FW in C2Se1, with the highest Se accumulation and use efficiency. According to the recommended dietary allowance of 55 μg Se day−1 for adults, an intake of 87 g of cucumber grown in C2Se1 is sufficient. Because of the improved Tr and better root structure in Se1, the uptake of mineral nutrients through mass flow and interception was well maintained under CO2 fertilization. So, the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mn in cucumber fruits were not significantly decreased by elevated [CO2] in Se1. However, the concentrations of soluble proteins, S, Mg, Fe, and Zn in cucumber fruits in C2Se1 were lower than those in C1Se1, which was mainly attributed to the dilution effects under CO2 fertilization. Therefore, a selenite supply of 0.125 mg Se L−1 was found to be the optimal dosage for producing Se-enriched cucumber fruits with high yield and better qualities under CO2 fertilization (1200 μmol mol−1). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Biofortified Vegetables in Soilless Cultivation Systems)
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15 pages, 2354 KiB  
Article
Selenium Nanoparticles Improve Quality, Bioactive Compounds and Enzymatic Activity in Jalapeño Pepper Fruits
by María de los Ángeles Sariñana-Navarrete, Álvaro Morelos-Moreno, Esteban Sánchez, Gregorio Cadenas-Pliego, Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza and Pablo Preciado-Rangel
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 652; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030652 - 24 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2076
Abstract
Trace element malnutrition causes the development of chronic degenerative diseases. The consumption of minerals and other compounds of biochemical origin through the intake of vegetables can attenuate these deficiencies to a great extent. Because the content in the plant depends on the conditions [...] Read more.
Trace element malnutrition causes the development of chronic degenerative diseases. The consumption of minerals and other compounds of biochemical origin through the intake of vegetables can attenuate these deficiencies to a great extent. Because the content in the plant depends on the conditions where it develops, there are still deficiencies that should be taken into consideration. For example, in Mexico, the intake of selenium does not cover the recommended daily requirement. The objective of this study was to use selenium nanoparticles (nSe) as a selenium (Se) source and to determine the effects on agronomic indices, antioxidant compounds, enzymatic activity, and accumulation of Se in fruits of a jalapeño pepper crop. Different concentrations of nSe (1, 15, 30, and 45 mg L−1) were supplied via drench to jalapeño pepper plants at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after transplanting. The results indicate that applying nSe via drench with 45 mg L−1 increased crop yield and antioxidant compounds. Moreover, all doses evaluated modified the activity of the enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and phenylalanine ammonium lyase (PAL), as well as improved the concentration of Se in fruits. The nSe incorporation via drench is an alternative to increase the content of Se and other nutraceutical compounds in jalapeño pepper fruits, possibly positively influencing human nutrition when consumed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Biofortified Vegetables in Soilless Cultivation Systems)
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