Effects of Nutrients on the Growth of Pak-Choi (*Brassica chinensis* L.) Seedlings in a Hydroponic System

Abstract

Pak-choi (Brassica chinensis L.) is one of the most widely consumed leafy green vegetables. In hydroponics, the growth depends upon the composition of nutrient solutions. This study was conducted due to the lack of reported studies on the effect of nutrients towards the hydroponic pak-choi plant. Therefore, this study describes the impact of different types of nutrients on plant growth. The response of the pak-choi plant growth upon the number of leaves per plant, plant height and leaves diameter were measured. The study covers the analysis of the nutrient solutions by x-ray fluorescence (XRF), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and ion chromatography (IC) as well as the effect of different fertilizers which are fruit waste fertilizer, fertilizer A:B (leafy green nutrient) and the mixture of fruit waste fertilizer with fertilizer A:B on the plant growth. Based on the experimental works, it can be observed that the fertiliser A:B (leafy green nutrient) has a fast response on growth towards the pak-choi plant growth in which it germinated on the second day and within ten days. Fertilizer A:B has additional macronutrients, which are Chlorine and Copper, that is essential for plant growth and development.