Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39170356›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2024

Suitability of coconut bran and biochar as a composite substrate for lettuce cultivation in aquaponic systems.

Chen Zhu, Zuo Lin, Wang Fen, Wang Jiajia, Zhou Xiang, Cui Kai, Zhang Yu, Zhang Kelai, Jiang Yelin, Krishna R Salin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Biochar-Coconut Shell Mixtures as Substrates forPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Chen ZhuKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Zuo LinKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Wang FenKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Wang JiajiaKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Zhou XiangKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Cui KaiKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Zhang YuChuzhou Huixiangbenjue Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., Chuzhou, 239000, China.
Zhang KelaiHefei Liuxing Blue Agriculture Co., Ltd, Hefei, 230031, China.
Jiang YelinKey Laboratory of Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement for Anhui Province, Fishery Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China.
Krishna R SalinAquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management, SERD, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Growth substrates are essential for aquaponic systems and play an important role in vegetable growth and water quality. In this study, we explored an innovative combination of coconut bran and coconut shell biochar (CSB) as a composite growth substrate for lettuce cultivation in aquaponic systems. The study included the control (100 % coconut bran as the growth substrate) and treatment groups (T1-T5; containing 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, and 50 % CSB as the growth substrate, respectively). The substrate properties; lettuce growth performance; and soil enzyme activity, nitrogen content, and abundance of microbial communities in the substrate were analyzed to determine the optimal substrate. Our findings indicated that CSB incorporation significantly altered the properties of the substrate, resulting in increased dry and bulk densities, pH, and water-holding capacity, and decreased electrical conductivity, water-absorption capacity, and porosity. Furthermore, the fresh weight of lettuce was notably increased in the treatment groups. The activities of fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, urease, nitrate reductase, and hydroxylamine reductase initially increased and further decreased, reaching the maximum in the T3 group. Conversely, the activity of nitrite reductase and contents of available nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and ammonium-nitrogen in the substrates initially decreased and further increased, with the minimum values observed in the T3 group. The microbial sequencing results indicated that CSB incorporation significantly increased the microbial diversity and relative abundance of microorganisms associated with nitrogen transformation. Moreover, 30 % CSB incorporation exhibited the greatest effect on lettuce growth, with a 34.5 % and 31.6 % increase in fresh weight compared to the control during the growth and harvest periods, respectively. This study indicated the enormous potential of biochar in the research and development of green technologies for substrate amendment in aquaponic systems.

Indexed as

Aquaponic systemsBiocharMicrobial communitySubstrate properties

Identifiers

PMID39170356
PMCPMC11336761

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.