Ornprapa Thepsilvisut

This study evaluated the effects of growing media and fertilizer applications on greenhouse strawberry cultivars ‘Pharachatan 80’ and ‘US Jumbo’ using a 4 × 3 factorial in CRD with five replications. Growing media comprised sand (S), coconut coir dust (C), and cow manure (M) in varying ratios (1:1, 1:1:1, 1:1:2, and 1:1:3 v/v), paired with no chemical fertilizer (NCF), a half-recommended dose (½ RDCF), or a full recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDCF). Results revealed that unamended substrate (S:C = 1:1 v/v) under NCF severely constrained crop performance. Conversely, integrating cow manure with chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced vegetative growth and yield attributes. Specifically, S:C:M 1:1:1 v/v combined with ½ RDCF optimized total marketable yield, increased the proportion of Grade 2–4 fruits, and improved fruit quality across both cultivars. However, elevated temperatures in tropical lowland greenhouses constrained fruit enlargement, resulting in ≥70% Low-Grade fruits (v/v with ½ RDCF represents the most effective strategy for tropical greenhouse strawberry cultivation, although implementing microclimate cooling or exogenous biostimulants remains necessary to overcome high-temperature limitations.

Hempseed press cake-derived protein hydrolysate (HPH) is a promising plant biostimulant, but its effects on strawberry fruit production under smart greenhouse conditions remain unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of foliar HPH application on growth, mineral accumulation, reproductive traits, yield, fruit quality, and antioxidant properties of strawberry cv. ‘Pharachatan 80’. Plants were grown in a smart greenhouse and treated with water (control), a commercial biostimulant, and HPH at 7.5 and 10.0% (w/v) (HPH7.5 and HPH10.0, respectively). Foliar application was initiated 25 days after transplanting and repeated weekly for five applications. HPH applications showed clear concentration-specific improvements in vegetative growth, mineral accumulation, reproductive performance, fruit yield, and antioxidant quality. As the most effective treatment for overall crop performance, HPH7.5 enhanced plant growth and mineral accumulation, particularly K and Mg. Consequently, it improved both yield components (fruit set, number, weight, size, and total yield) and fruit quality attributes, such as total soluble solids, total phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and ABTS radical-scavenging activity. Conversely, HPH10.0 was more closely associated with N, P, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mn accumulation, as well as fruit firmness and total anthocyanin content, and DPPH radical-scavenging activity. Principal component analysis confirmed distinct response patterns between HPH concentrations. Thus, HPH7.5 serves as an effective foliar biostimulant to improve strawberry productivity and quality in smart greenhouses.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) represents a high-value horticultural crop in Thailand with significant export potential; however, optimizing productivity in tropical environments requires a precise understanding of how cultivation practices and harvest seasons influence marketability. Here, a split-plot experiment arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted to examine how different crop methods and harvest seasons affect asparagus yield and quality in Lopburi Province, Thailand. The main plots were categorized by harvest season—summer, rainy, and winter—while the subplots included three crop methods: conventional, GAP, and organic. Summer produced the highest yield and asparagus with the greatest levels of total chlorophyll, phenolics, and DPPH radical scavenging activity compared to other seasons. Although the conventional methods yielded the most spears per plant, these spears contained higher levels of contaminants, including cadmium, lead, and nitrate. In contrast, spears from GAP and organic methods had higher phosphorus levels. However, no pesticide residues were found in any spear samples. Economically, the organic method had the shortest payback period, owing to lower production costs; despite a lower annual yield, stable market prices kept it profitable. In addition, organic soils had the highest levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Overall, while conventional methods enhance the yield and certain qualities, organic farming, particularly when harvested in summer, yields the highest economic returns and the most sustainable system among those tested.

Peppermint (Mentha spp.) produces bioactive metabolites under stress. Light spectrum and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are important factors influencing growth, physiology, and antioxidant defense. In this study, peppermint was cultivated under different light spectra and foliar MeJA concentrations in a controlled environment. Plants exposed to a balanced RGB (1:1:1) spectrum showed the greatest morphological development, with plant height (35.99 cm), canopy width (21.24 cm), and chlorophyll content (29.64 SPAD) significantly higher than those in other treatments. Foliar application of MeJA produced concentration-dependent effects: 2.0 mM increased photosynthetic rate to 6.49 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ compared with 4.52 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in the control, 2.5 mM resulted in the highest fresh and dry biomass (24.82 g/plant and 2.42 g/plant, respectively), and 1.5 mM yielded the highest total phenolics (20.22 mg GAE/g DW) and antioxidant activity (60.97%). These findings demonstrate that peppermint responses to MeJA are strongly dose dependent and that light quality modulates growth by reducing stress compared with monochromatic spectra. Overall, the results suggest that integrating balanced light spectra with optimized MeJA concentrations can improve both biomass and secondary metabolite accumulation, supporting peppermint production under controlled conditions.

To optimize the quality and quantity of basil cultivars, this study investigated four varieties of nutrient-rich growing media compared with chemical fertilizers at the recommended dose in the soil-grown system, and commercial growing media (control) for producing holy basil and Genovese basil under greenhouse conditions. The experiment used a completely randomized design (CRD) with six treatments and five replications. With greater levels of chlorophyll, T3 and T4 growing media, consisting of top soil, filter cake, long-term/short-term composted chicken manure, coconut coir dust, and rice husk ash at a ratio of 3:2:2:1.5:1.5 v/v, produced the largest fresh yield when used for holy basil and Genovese basil productions, respectively. However, the net profit margin showed no discernible variations from T3–T5 and T2–T6 growing media, respectively. Nevertheless, T3 or T4 and T4 growing media were recommended for holy basil and Genovese basil production, respectively, based on highest productivity and intricacy of preparation, while also ensuring that the product retains its quality in terms of antioxidant bioactive components. In addition to maintaining the biomass of basil plants’ productivity even when they are cultivated in appropriate growing media, Genovese basil needs to be fertilized with organic fertilizer, like chicken manure, following the fifth or sixth harvesting period. Holy basil should be harvested after the fourth harvest period.

The increasing problem of carbon dioxide emissions has become a significant concern, with mushroom production identified as one of the contributing factors. This is because the mushroom production process emits carbon dioxide through respiration, and the carbon dioxide emitted by the mushrooms contributes to an increase in greenhouse gases. The carbon dioxide emitted by mushrooms can be utilized in various applications, such as supporting vegetable cultivation in greenhouses. However, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by mushrooms varies. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the growth, yield, and carbon dioxide emissions in five edible mushrooms, namely Pleurotus pulmonarius, Lentinus squarrosulus, P. ostreatus, P. citrinopileatus, and P. cystidiosus. The experiment found that the fresh weight, dry weight, and biological efficiency percentage of P. ostreatus were the highest at 65.71, 11.18 g, and 28.22 percent, respectively. In contrast, the fresh weight, dry weight, and biological efficiency percentage of L. squarrosulus were the lowest, at 24.90, 3.80 g, and 9.90 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the carbon dioxide emitted from L. squarrosulus was the highest, ranging from 854.00 to 8369.67 ppm, while the carbon dioxide emitted from P. cystidiosus was the lowest, ranging from 606.00 to 861.00 ppm.

The use of biostimulants derived from protein hydrolysates (PH) is now recognized as an effective strategy to promote sustainable vegetable production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the foliar application of PH derived from hempseed press cakes on Red Oak lettuce cultivated under greenhouse conditions. Foliar applications of PH at concentrations ranging from 0% to 7.5% (w/v) were compared with water (control) and a commercial product (Germinate^®), applied weekly until 35 days after transplanting (DAT). Growth parameters, including plant height, plant width, leaf number, and leaf length and width, were recorded at 14 DAT and subsequently recorded weekly until harvest. Moreover, the fresh and dry weight, chlorophylls, mineral contents, antioxidants, and their activities in the harvested plants were determined. The results showed the positive effects of the hempseed press cake-derived PH on growth, yield, mineral contents, antioxidants, and antioxidant activities. In particular, the foliar application of PH at a concentration of 7.5% (w/v) is recommended to improve the yield and nutritional values in Red Oak lettuce. This study reports the first detailed research on the use of PH derived from hempseed press cakes for lettuce and may offer a sustainable alternative for vegetable production.

Emphasis on sustainable cassava production is increasing, with aims to increase the net income of cassava farmers in an ecologically friendly way. This study examined the optimization of soil fertilizer management at two research locations (Nampong and Seungsang) in northeastern Thailand. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with five replications. Eight different fertilizer management protocols consisted of (1) no fertilizer application (control), (2) the recommended dosage of chemical fertilizer (RDCF), (3) 3.12 t ha⁻¹ of chicken manure (CM), (4) 937.5 L ha⁻¹ of swine manure extract (SME), (5) CM + SME, (6) ½ RDCF + ½ CM, (7) ½ RDCF + ½ SME, and (8) CM + PGPR (stake soaking with PGPR solution). At the Nampong site, the application of CM + PGPR has the most potential for increasing the cassava yield in terms of the fresh tuber yield when compared with no fertilizer and RDCF applications. At the Seungsang site, the application of CM gave the high fresh tuber yield, without significant differences from RDCF applications. Furthermore, compared to the RDCF treatment, both soil fertilizer management protocols produced positive marginal rate of return values, showing clear potential for contributing to sustainable cassava production.

The split gill mushroom (Schizophyllum commune) is a valuable natural resource with high nutritional value and diverse bioactive metabolites, underscoring its potential for sustainable applications. By applying elicitors, this study highlights the quality enhancement of S. commune fruiting bodies, a commercially significant resource. While elicitors have been shown to stimulate beneficial bioactive compound production, research on their use in S. commune remains limited. This study applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA) at various concentrations (0, 4, 13, 22, 31, and 40 µM) to optimize growth, improve nutritional value, promote triterpenoid and phenolic compound synthesis, and boost antioxidant activity in S. commune. The results demonstrated that MeJA’s effects on growth and bioactive compounds are concentration-dependent. A concentration of 22 µM was identified as the most effective, resulting in the highest growth performance, including cap diameter (2.01 cm), fresh weight (24.10 g), and biological efficiency (15.21%). Furthermore, all MeJA treatments significantly enhanced triterpenoid, phenolic compound, and antioxidant activity compared to the control. These findings present a promising approach to enhance the sustainable use of S. commune as a natural resource by improving its quality and bioactive properties. Additionally, this research contributes to understanding the role of MeJA in promoting the growth and production of bioactive compounds in mushrooms, offering insights for advancing mushroom-based natural resource management.

Understanding the influence of light spectra on plant growth and antioxidant activities is crucial for optimizing cultivation practices and enhancing crop quality. In this study, we investigated the effects of different light treatments on growth parameters and antioxidant activities in five plant species: peppermint, Thai basil, cumin, lemon basil, and green holy basil. Our results revealed distinct responses to varying light spectra, with green light consistently promoting taller plant heights across all species. Additionally, blue light induced notable increases in plant width for certain species. Analysis of antioxidant activities demonstrated dynamic fluctuations in Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Flavonoid Content (TFC) among different light treatments and plant species. While white and red light generally promoted higher TPC levels, blue light unexpectedly exhibited the highest TPC levels at specific time points. Moreover, investigation into DPPH Radical Scavenging activity revealed diverse temporal responses to light spectra, with blue light demonstrating exceptional activity at early stages and white and red light showing heightened activity at later time points. These findings underscore the importance of tailored light regimes in optimizing growth parameters and enhancing antioxidant activities in cultivated plants, thereby offering promising avenues for sustainable agriculture and food production practices.