Evaluation of Sheep Wool as a Substrate for Hydroponic Cucumber Cultivation

Monika Komorowska (), Marcin Niemiec, Jakub Sikora, Zofia Gródek-Szostak, Hatice Gurgulu, Maciej Chowaniak, Atilgan Atilgan and Pavel Neuberger
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Monika Komorowska: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21 Mickiewicza Av., 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Marcin Niemiec: Department of Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 21 Mickiewicza Av., 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Jakub Sikora: Faculty of Production and Power Engineering, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 30-149 Krakow, Poland
Zofia Gródek-Szostak: Department of Economics and Enterprise Organization, Cracow University of Economics, 31-510 Krakow, Poland
Hatice Gurgulu: Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Izmir 35100, Turkey
Maciej Chowaniak: Department of Agroecology and Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland
Atilgan Atilgan: Department of Biosystem Engineering, Alaaddin Keykubat University, Kestel Mahallesi, Alanya 07425, Turkey
Pavel Neuberger: Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycká 129, 165 21 Praha, Czech Republic

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: The problem of the use and disposal of horticultural substrates is an important element of the optimization of plastic greenhouse production in terms of economic and environmental efficiency. The production of mineral substrates is associated with a high energy expenditure, which generates costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An important factor is also the transport of professional substrates over long distances. The research objective was to evaluate the possibility of using sheep wool to create horticultural substrates in the hydroponic production of cucumber. The modifier of production technology was the use of substrates of various origins. The experiment was based on the use of two substrates: one was a conventional substrate, made of mineral wool, and the other was made of greasy Gissar sheep wool, which is considered waste or a nuisance byproduct of sheep farming today. The adopted functional unit was 1 ton of commercial cucumber yield. The boundaries of the system were soil formation, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. The amount of GHG emissions was calculated in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The results of the experiment show that the use of sheep wool as a substrate in the hydroponic cultivation of cucumbers reduced yield by approximately 8%, but it allowed for a higher efficiency of water and mineral fertilizer use per crop mass unit. Within the adopted system boundary, the value of the carbon footprint in the object with the conventional substrate was 276.9 kg CO 2 eq · Mg −1 . The value of this parameter for the object with the sheep wool was 193.9 kg CO 2 eq · Mg −1 . The use of sheep wool did not increase the phytosanitary risk of the cultivated plants. An important goal for achieving sustainability, especially in food production, is to use materials that are easily recyclable and renewable, locally available, and environmentally friendly. The use of sheep wool as a substrate for soilless plastic greenhouse cultivation is a rational solution, as this material consists of 60% animal protein fibers, 10% fat, 15% moisture, 10% sheep sweat, and an average of 5% impurities. This makes it an easily recyclable, easily renewable, and environmentally friendly source of raw material for hydroponic substrates in food production, contrary to rockwool, which produces waste that is difficult to manage and a nuisance to the natural environment. In the countries of Central Asia, the sheep population is over 20 million; therefore, the potential for using sheep wool material for agricultural production is significant.

Keywords: greenhouse gas emissions; cucumber; horticulture substrates; sheep wool; energy resources; sustainability; environmental impact (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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