Oxygen is crucial for the growth and nutrient uptake of plant roots, especially in crops like strawberries that demand high levels of oxygen in their root zones. However, in hydroponic systems, the nutrient solution is often inadequately oxygenated. In this study, we examined the effects of supplementing dissolved oxygen (DO) into the nutrient solution on the growth of strawberry plants. Inside an indoor vertical farm, bare-root plants of strawberry ‘Albion’ and ‘Eversweet’ were grown using deep water culture hydroponics under a controlled environment of 23 °C air temperature and an 18-h photoperiod, with an extended photosynthetic photon flux density of 350 µmol∙m –2 ∙s –1 . The DO concentration of the nutrient solution was maintained at control levels (no adjustment) or supplemented using an air pump or an oxygen concentrator. The average DO concentrations in the control condition was 70%, while supplementing the nutrient solution with an air pump or an oxygen concentrator increased the average DO concentration to 85% and 100%, respectively. Supplementing with DO had minimal to no effect on the days to root of strawberry bare root plants in both cultivars. Four weeks after the DO treatments, root length, crown diameter, leaf area, and fresh mass of shoot and root were also similar in both cultivars regardless of DO concentration. The effects of supplementing DO on flowering and fruit production will also be presented.
