Understanding and

steering the root

zone environment
According to the Grodan 6 phase model

Part of the ROCKWOOL Group

 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

Introduction

Goals and targets for crop and root zone management in response to
changes in plant development, fruit load and light levels.

In this whitepaper Grodan specialist ANDREW LEE provides an insight into

the 6 Phase model which describes plant growth and development and
explains how using this knowledge grower’s can form coherent strategies in
respect to root zone management throughout the duration of the cropping cycle.

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

Root zone management

I have already described transpira- less. This does not necessarily mean yield and quality. Uniformity in both
tion and how this process is influ- an ad-hoc approach to cost cutting. climate and root zone environments
enced by the aerial climate in the Producing more for less in this is also an important consideration
whitepaper ‘Movement of Water context means becoming more because without uniformity in you
Through Plants’. In the whitepaper efficient at what you do in daily will be unable to grow to the de-
‘Understanding Substrate Design’ I practice. We call this Precision Grow- fined strategy. This ultimately comes
also defined key substrate function- ing. The first thing you need is a down to infrastructure and tools at
alities and why these are important growing plan, a strategy that pro- your disposal i.e. the quality of
when it comes to substrate design vides a structured approach to the greenhouse construction, vent
and the fundamental thought way of growing. In essence the calibration, heat / fog distribution,
processes behind an irrigation structure should have 4 key pillars; substrate quality, evenness of the
management strategy. Now I will irrigation delivery system etc. You
introduce the Grodan 6 Phase 1. Strategy must also consider the quality and
model. The model describes each 2. Uniformity uniformity of the young plants you
development stage of a crop (appli- 3. Strength receive from propagation, if these
cable to tomato, cucumber, pepper, 4. Balance plants are of uneven size and deve-
aubergine) and defines ‘targets’ for lopment it will result in many com-
crop and root zone management, in A strategy is simply taking a global promises to your strategy. On a
response to changing weather overview of the production cycle seasonal basis maintaining strength
conditions and plant growth and and your market. It is invariably a in the crop throughout the produc-
development. paper exercise conducted between tion cycle is also important because
grower and consultant that will without strength it is impossible to
Growers worldwide have to react to consist of choosing the right variety achieve the right crop balance on a
developments in the market. Today’s for the right retail outlet which daily basis, for example a weak crop
immediate challenge for hi-tech planted at the right time and densi- cannot be steered generatively and
horticulture is producing more for ty, will achieve the right fruit size, production will be compromised.

6 Phase model

As cultivation systems become more pillars described above and is now long term, decisions on a daily basis
hi-tech and greenhouse businesses accepted worldwide by growers, become easier and more informed.
get larger the requirements for struc- consultants and seed companies. Moreover the model is applicable
tured growing plans are more The model describes specifics worldwide, wherever you are the
important than ever. These global changes in crop development and objectives and targets will be the
blueprints are the basis for ensuring consequently defines targets and same, only the week numbers
optimal crop performance. Growers objectives for each Phase of growth related to the start and end of each
are able to become more focussed (Table 1.0). It therefore provides a growing Phase will change.
at producing high quality produce structured plan to follow over the
for minimal cost. The Grodan 6 course of the year, because if you
Phase model takes account of all 4 have objectives and targets over the

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

Cultivation Phase Objective Target crop Target root zone

Week 48 - 02 Continue the uniform deve- Plants should continue to A successful start for the
lopment of a strong genera- exhibit uniform growth after plant is determined by good
tive plant with good forma- delivery from the propagator. root development which
tion of the first and second should remain confined to
clusters. the block. Attention should
Phase 1: be given to developing as
Planting & rooting in Fast and uniform rooting Uniform growth should many pin roots as possible
into the substrate. continue and the leaf area to enable fast rooting in as
should increase to enable soon as slab contact is re-
the plant to intercept as quired. The pin roots should
much radiation as possible. grow easily out of the block
Truss development should and uniformly into the sub-
remain strong and genera- strate. It is important to
tive with good flower and supply enough water and
pollen formation. nutrition to the blocks until
the plant can rely on the
available water in the slab.

Week 02-08 Continuation of uniform Work on plant development Establish complete root
controlled plant develop- and increasing the leaf area penetration of the entire
ment and the realisation of to capture the available substrate volume. This will
a root system that fills the radiation and keep vegeta- enable the plant to take up
entire substrate volume. tive – generative balance all the water and nutrition it
Phase 2:
in the plant. will need for maximum sum-
Rooting through &
mer production and quality.
plant development

Week 08-14 Retain the right balance in Growth should remain con- Root quality should be re-
the crop during first harvest stant and uniform while the tained to ensure controlled
(as the fruit load increases) fruit load is increasing. The and uniform re-growth of
and assimilate supply is 24 hrs temperature should the crop as first harvest
variable and strongly be adjusted to the light le- approaches.
Phase 3:
depending on the weather. vels to ensure optimum par-
Growth & balance
titioning of available assimi-
lates for plant and fruit growth.

Week 14-22 Realise controlled and uni- Focus on keeping the crop To control the balance in the
form re-growth of the crop in balance as the plant load crop the root zone environ-
following the first harvests. and production continue to ment should remain stable
increase. and uniform throughout the
greenhouse. The recom-
Phase 4:
mended WC and EC levels
Production & balance
for spring and summer
should now be realised.

Week 22-35 Maintain maximum produc- Vegetative or generative Water uptake should match
tion potential by keeping steering will depend on the the needs of the crop for
plant and root quality in condition of the crop. The maximum cooling potential
excellent health. crop should remain strong to create good climate and
to cope with large and plant conditions inside the
Phase 5:
extreme fluctuations in greenhouse. Good root
Maximum production
weather conditions. The set penetration throughout the
speed should match the entire substrate volume
harvest speed to maintain realised in Phase 2-4 will
constant fruit load. help the crop to cope with
extreme weather conditions.

Week 35-45 Keep the crop in a healthy Maintain strength and gro- Maintain a healthy and active
condition to ensure produc- wing power of the plant and root system and to keep the
tion and quality is maintained limit the ingress of disease correct nutrient balance.
right through to the last in the crop as the light levels
planned harvest date. diminish towards final harvest.
Phase 6:
Final production

Table 1.0
A description of the Grodan 6 Phase model: In this case a tomato crop grown without assimilation lights planted in North West Europe is
used as the example. Week numbers refer to calendar weeks.

4
 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

I will now focus specifically on the

root zone environment within each
growing Phase and expand on the
objectives taking the example for
tomatoes described in Table 1.0
further.

Phase 1a/b
If you opt to stand the plants on the
side of the slab (Phase 1a) you
should understand that during
propagation the block was steered
to a WC 30-40% before it was
re-saturated back to WC 80% and
this strategy should be continued
with the objective of developing
more pin roots within the block
(Picture 1.0 illustrating Pin roots
tomato in propagation block) and
allowing you to find the right bal-
ance between generative and
vegetative growth. This will ensure
the plants continue to grow in a
controlled, uniform way. Remember
that uniformity of WC and EC over Picture 1.0
the height of the propagation block Development of pin roots in Grodan block.
increases the period of steerability
whilst the plant is standing next to
the plant hole. So if you opt for this Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
strategy it is an important feature of
block quality. A typical strategy Start time +2.0 hrs after sunrise +3.0 hrs after sunrise
during this Phase is summarized in <300g 10 x 10 cm <270g 10 x 10 cm
<350g 10 x 15 cm <300g 10 x 15 cm
Table 2.0. Start times can be deter-
mined by block weight (g) or water Stop time -2.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 4.0 hrs before sunset
content (WC%).
Target minimum Delay irrigation until block WC Delay irrigation until block WC
When slab contact is made, usually WC% before re- 40 - 45% 35 - 40%
when the 1st or second cluster is saturation
flowering, (Phase 1b) your objective
is to get the roots quickly estab- Target decrease WC Maximum 20% Maximum 20%
overnight
lished into the substrate. In this
Phase it is important to maintain Moment 1st drain Not applicable Not applicable
good block / slab contact by mini-
mising the difference in WC% EC drip 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm 3.5 - 4.5 mS/cm
between the two components (Table
EC block 5.0 - 8.0 mS/cm 5.0 - 11.0 mS/cm
3.0). This practice will ensure in-
creased DM% in the growing crop 24 hr Drain 10 - 40% 0 - 20%
and improve the resilience to dis-
ease, particularly Botrytis in later Irrigation volume & 2-4 sessions 1-2 sessions
frequency 75 - 100 ml per 10 x 10 cm 100 - 200 ml per 10 x 10 cm
growing Phases.
100 - 150 ml per 10 x 15 cm 150 - 250 ml per 10 x 15 cm

ml/joule Not applicable Not applicable

Night irrigation If decrease >20% If decrease >20%

Table 2.0:
Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development during Phase 1a.

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

This Phase comes to an end when Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
the roots have penetrated into the
substrate by several centimetres and Start time +2.0 hrs after sunrise +3.0 hrs after sunrise
water uptake no longer depends on
Stop time -2.0 - 3.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 4.0 hrs before sunset
the moisture content in the propa-
gation block.
Target day level WC Slab >75% Slab >75%
Block >50% Block >50%
Your choice of substrate, made as
part of your overall strategy will now Target decrease WC Not applicable Not applicable
influence dramatically what you can overnight
and cannot do in terms of root zone
Moment 1st drain Not applicable Not applicable
management, hence I will use typical
strategies employed when using GT EC drip 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm
Master in this and subsequent
growing Phases. But remember what EC block / slab* Block: 5.0 - 8.0 mS/cm Block: 5.0 - 11.0 mS/cm
Slab: 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm Slab: 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm
ever your choice of substrate the
goals and objectives (Table 1.0) will 24 hr Drain Not applicable Not applicable
remain exactly the same.
Irrigation volume 200 - 250 ml/m² 250 - 400 ml/m²
Phase 2
ml/joule Not applicable Not applicable
It is essential to form a large volume
of roots in this growing Phase as this Night irrigation If used in line with techniques If used in line with techniques
forms the basis for crop growth and of 'the new way of growing' of 'the new way of growing'
quality. Irrigation in relation to crop (HNT). these should cease by (HNT). these should cease by
activity will encourage the roots to second flowering cluster second flowering cluster
“look” for water and nutrition in the
substrate. Steering in the root zone Table 3.0:
on a daily basis should also be Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 1b.
adjusted to the required direction of *EC drip also indicates slab EC at initial saturation of the slab.
crop development (vegetative or
generative) in order to keep the crop
in balance. For maximum generative Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
steering your objective should be to
gradually lower day level WC% of Start time +2.0 hrs after sunrise +3.0 hrs after sunrise
the substrate from 85-90% to 50-
Stop time -2.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 4.0 hrs before sunset
60%* by the time the 5th cluster is
flowering (Table 4.0). However
Target day level WC 50 - 55% 45 - 50%
please remember the control range
WC% for GT Master can be steered Target decrease WC 6 - 8% 8 - 10%
toward a lower level (45-50%) if overnight
greater generative actions are
Moment 1st drain Before 12.00 hrs After 12.00 hrs
required.
EC drip 3.5 - 4.0 mS/cm 3.8 - 4.2 mS/cm
Phase 3
As the fruit load increases the EC slab 5.0 - 7.0 mS/cm 6.0 - 9.0 mS/cm
quantity of assimilates available for 24 hr Drain 15 - 25% 0 - 15%
the development of shoots and
roots will decrease. It is important Irrigation volume Week 4: 300 - 350 ml/m² Week 4: 350 - 450 ml/m²
that you distribute the available Week 8: 350 - 400 ml/m² Week 8: 450 - 500 ml/m²
assimilates evenly between fruit,
ml/joule Not applicable Not applicable
shoot and roots. Good crop registra-
tion will supply the required data as Night irrigation No No
to how to keep strength in the crop
with adjustments to the 24 hour Table 4.0:
temperature in accordance to the Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 2.
daily light sum. The growth of new Note data values are indicative for GT Master. Slab EC rises due to limited or no drain
volumes in this phase.
roots and root tips should be en-
couraged by adjusting the start and
stop times of irrigation especially on
darker days. On bright days the
WC% can be steered upwards (Table

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

5.0). In combination with a targeted Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
irrigation strategy this will facilitate
maximum growth and development Start time +1.0 - 2.0 hrs after sunrise +3.0 - 4.0 hrs after sunrise
of the crop. The drip EC is an 60 - 100 J/cm² or 150 W/m² When WC falls 1.5 - 2.0% from
sunrise
important steering tool to maintain
balance and fruit quality in this Stop time -1.0 - 2.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 4.0 hrs before sunset
Phase. Ideally this should be main- Ideally leaving 150 -200 J/cm²
tained sufficiently high which in and a light intensity threshold
combination with large dripping 200 - 300 W/m² to sunset
sessions especially on dark days,
Target day level WC 55 - 60% 45 - 50%
provides maximum generative
development for a strong crop. Target decrease WC 8 - 10% 10 - 15%
overnight

Moment 1st drain 400 J/cm² or 600 W/m² Less than 4 irrigation's

EC drip 3.0 - 3.3 mS/cm 3.5 - 3.8 mS/cm

EC slab 4.0 - 5.0 mS/cm 4.5 - 5.5 mS/cm

24 hr Drain 20 - 30% 10 - 20%

Irrigation volume 300 - 350 ml/m² 400 - 500 ml/m²

Picture 2.0 ml/joule Not applicable Not applicable

Night irrigation Only if additional vegetative No

Phase 4 steering is required
After the first harvest the fruit load
should be in balance with crop Table 5.0:
growth (Picture 2 illustrating lots of Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 3.
good quality tomato fruit on the Note data values are specific to GT Master.
plant). The crop will assimilate all
radiation into re-growth and weekly
production will start to increase. Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
However re-growth should not be Start time +1.0 - 2.0 hrs after sunrise +2.0-3.0 hrs after sunrise
‘explosive or jerky’. Targeted start 80 - 100 J/cm² or 150 W/m² When WC falls 1.5-2.0% from
and stop times between bright and sunrise
dark days (Table 6.0) will ensure a
good balance between vegetative Stop time -1.0 - 2.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 5.0 hrs before sunset
and generative growth and will Ideally leaving 150 - 200 J/cm²
prevent fruit quality issues such as and light intensity threshold
200 - 300 W/m² to sunset
Blossom end rot (BER), soft fruit and
uneven colour. I will deal with these Target day level WC 70 - 75% increasing 75 - 80% 70% increasing 75% week 22
fruit physiological quality issues in a week 22
subsequent whitepaper.
Target decrease WC 6 - 8% 10 - 12%
overnight
The GroSens system is a good tool
to use in this respect. I like to see at Moment 1st drain 400 J/cm² or 600 W/m² or Less than 4 irrigation’s
least 1.5-2.0% decrease in WC% 4-6 irrigation’s
between sunrise and the start of
irrigation on dark days (Table 6.0). EC drip 2.8 - 3.3 mS/cm 3.0 - 3.5 mS/cm

EC slab 3.8 - 4.5 mS/cm 4.5 - 5.2 mS/cm

24 hr Drain 25 - 30% 10 - 20%

Irrigation volume Morning: 350 - 500 ml/m² 350 - 500 ml/m²

Afternoon: 300 - 400 ml/m²

ml/joule 3.0 ml/J Not applicable

Night irrigation No No

Table 6.0:
Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 4.
Picture 3.0 Note data values are specific to GT Master.

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

Phase 5 Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering

During this Phase the crop will have
the highest production capacity, Start time +1.0 - 2.0 hrs after sunrise +2.0 - 3.0 hrs after sunrise
however it is also when most fruit 60-100 J/cm² or 150 W/m² When WC falls 1.5-2.0% from
sunrise
quality problems related to lack of
water and nutrient uptake occur i.e. Stop time -1.0 - 2.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 4.0 hrs before sunset
BER. It is during this Phase that the Ideally leaving 150 - 200 J/cm²
root system you created and main- and light intensity threshold
tained by having a good root zone 200 - 300 W/m² to sunset
management strategy through
Target day level WC 75 - 80 % 70 - 80% (3 - 5% lower than
Phases 2-4 really pays dividends
a bright day)
(Picture 3.0 illustrating excellent
tomato root system inside GT Target decrease WC 6 - 8% 10 - 12%
Master slab). Vegetative steering overnight
will encourage the crop to grow
optimally for maximum production Moment 1st drain 400 J/cm² or 600 W/m² or Less than 4 irrigation’s
4-6 irrigation’s
(Table 7.0). The start time of irriga-
tion should now be related to light EC drip 2.8 - 3.3 mS/cm 3.0 - 3.5 mS/cm
sum (J/cm2) or intensity (W/m2). It is
also important to keep the decrease EC slab 3.5 - 4.5 mS/cm 4.0 - 5.0 mS/cm
in WC% overnight to 8-12%. A larger
24 hr Drain 30 - 35% 10 - 20%
decrease will impact negatively on
production as the fruits will become Irrigation volume Morning: 350 - 400 ml/m² 350 - 450 ml/m²
“dry” at the end of the day. This Afternoon: 250 - 300 ml/m²
normally occurs if the stop time is
ml/joule 2.8 - 3.5 ml/J Not applicable
targeted too early. I therefore like to
stop irrigation when the outside light Night irrigation Only if corrective actions are No
intensity is around 200-300 W/m2. required delta WC >10%

Phase 6 Table 7.0:

This Phase starts when the growing Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 5.
heads are taken out, leaving 7-8 Note data values are specific to GT Master.
trusses on the plant. However the
objective is still to continue produc- Bright day - Vegetative steering Dark day - Generative steering
ing high yield of high quality pro-
duce (Table 1.0). Fruit quality will be Start time +1.5 - 2.5 hrs after sunrise +3.0 - 4.0 hrs after sunrise
assured by adjustments to the 80 - 100 J/cm² or 200 W/m² When WC falls 1.5 - 2.0% from
sunrise
irrigation strategy which is aimed at
preventing root necrosis and at Stop time -2.0 - 3.0 hrs before sunset -3.0 - 5.0 hrs before sunset
maintaining the correct nutritional Ideally leaving 150 - 200 J/cm²
balance in the root zone by ensuring and light intensity threshold
adequate drain over 24 hrs (Table 200 - 300 W/m² to sunset
8.0). This is especially important if
Target day level WC 70-75% decreasing to 60-65% 70% decreasing to 60%
you wish to extend the growing
season (harvesting period) by Target decrease WC 8 - 10% 10 - 15%
reducing 24 hr temperatures. overnight

Moment 1st drain 400 J/cm² or 600 W/m² or Less than 4 irrigation’s
4-6 irrigation’s

EC drip 3.0 - 3.3 mS/cm 3.3 - 3.5 mS/cm

EC slab 3.5 - 4.5 mS/cm 4.5 - 6.0 mS/cm

24 hr Drain 20 - 30% 10 - 20%

Irrigation volume Morning: 350 - 450 ml/m² 400 - 500 ml/m²

Afternoon: 300 - 400 ml/m²

ml/joule 2.8 - 3.2 ml/J 2.5 - 3.0 ml/J

Night irrigation No No

Table 8.0:
Typical strategy for steering tomato plant development in Phase 6.
Note data values are specific to GT Master.

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

Summary

The 6 Phase model is accepted worldwide as a method of describing crop

development. Using this framework growers and consultants can plan
strategies in climate and root zone over the duration of the cropping cycle.
Having long term objectives facilitates better decision making in short term
when reacting to daily changes in weather conditions.

In the next article I will describe how to interpret information from the
GroSens system (substrate WC / EC) and using specific examples how this
can be used to implement a sound irrigation management strategy with the
aid of a climate computer to achieve short term objectives within the root
zone.

About the author

Andrew Lee works for Grodan Technical Services. He is a PhD graduate
from the University of London, England, and has been working for Grodan
over the past 19 years providing consultancy and technical support for its
customer base worldwide.

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 Whitepaper - Understanding and steering the root zone environment

More whitepapers

Movement of water
through plants

How a plant uses water and the

interaction between root zone
and aerial environments.

Steering WC & EC at the

start of the cultivation

Some decisions and actions we

make in starting a new crop can
have a big impact later in the
cultivation.

Improving tomato
fruit quality

For the most common physiological

disorders namely blossom end rot
(BER) and uneven colour (blotchy
ripening) this whitepaper explains
their cause and prescribes simple
solutions to avoid / minimise risk of
symptom expression in the first place.

Download them here www.grodan.com/learning/ec

10
Grodan supplies innovative, sustainable mineral wool
substrate applications for professional horticulture,
based on the Precision Growing principle. These
applications are used for the growing of vegetables
and flowers, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, capsi­
cums, aubergines, roses and gerberas. Grodan
supplies stone wool substrates in combination with
customized advice and innovative tools to support
growers with Precision Growing. This facilitates
sustainable production of healthy, safe and delicious
fresh produce for consumers.

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Industrieweg 15
P.O. Box 1160, 6040 KD Roermond
The Netherlands

t +31 (0)475 35 30 20
f +31 (0)475 35 37 16
e [email protected]
i www.grodan.com
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