Testing some soilless techniques for selected ornamental plants in Kuwait

The objective of this study was to evaluate three closed production techniques (closed insulated pallet system (CIPS), nutrient film technique (NFT) and A-shaped aeroponics (AERO)) under local growing conditions by comparing them with the conventional soil-based cultivation method (control) in Kuwait. CIPS is a continuous subirrigation capillary system and fertilizers are placed in conservers to ensure a retention reserve within the root zone. The experiment was conducted in acrylic covered greenhouses with evaporative cooling system with ambient temperatures ranging from 24 to 35°C throughout the experimentation period. Three ornamental plant species; were used in the evaluation process; viz. Pelargonium hortorum, Dianthus barbatus, and Petunia hybrida, P. hortorum and Dianthus barbatus grown in CIPS had significantly greater number of flowers per plant than all other systems in the study. Significant differences between amounts of water consumed in the soilless techniques compared to the soil-based method, ranging from 79.1 to 53.8% of the control. CIPS was the most promising system, with a great potential to be adapted for protected agriculture because of its productivity and simplicity.