The secret weapons in soils: Researchers find better ways to fight infection in hydroponically grown plants

摘要

Hydroponically grown tomatoes, sweet peppers, cueumbers, and flowers are an important part of Canada's 1.6-billion dollar greenhouse industry. When they're well tended, the plants thrive for up to a year or more in nutrient-based solutions and water,without need for soil. But when microscopic disease organisms enter the nutrient feeding solution, plant health can quickly spin out of control, drastically cutting plant productivity and lifespan. New research shows the absence of soil could actually be what makes hydroponic plants more vulnerable to diseases. A team of University of Guelph researchers led by Prof. John Sutton, department of environmental biology, has discovered bacteria and fungi in soil that actually protect roots. Now, he's developing ways to maintain these microbial strains in hydroponic nutrient solutions.