Soil-Less Agriculture – Future of Farming

HYDROPHONICS
It is a Cultivation or growing of plants without using soil, instead of soil here there will be Water
or other soil less media.
• Media should be like using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without Soil. Using this
technology, the roots will absorb balanced nutrient dissolved in water that meets all the
plant developmental requirements. Many aggregates and media support plant growth in
hydroponics. In soil conditions there will be chance of not meeting their requirements like
losing fertility.
Hydroponics system is scientifically possible, the main metabolic process in plants is
photosynthesis, in the photosynthetic process, soil is not mentioned.
Carbon Dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen
➢ There is no mention of “soil” anywhere in there and these show that we can grow plants
without soil. Soil is just a medium for the supply of nutrients to the plant. Water can act as a
good medium as soil. In this system we can grow wide range of crops in different growing
media or substrates contained inside grow bags, pots, pipes and trays.
Hydroponic Cultivation in Controlled Environment Agriculture:
➢ Hydroponics or soil less culture provides optimal conditions for plant growth and therefore,
higher and better-quality yields can be obtained compared to soil grown in Protected and
open field cultivation.
➢ Soil borne diseases and nematodes are two most common problems being faced by Farmers
and growers in protected cultivation. They are adopting costly soil sterilization and risky
chemical treatments
➢ In those cases, hydroponics provides cost effective and eco-friendly option for protected
cultivation.
➢ Basic requirements of any hydroponics system are optimum Electrical conductivity and pH,
optimum aeration and temperature, Buffer action of water and nutrient solution on the
growing media and Supply of all micro and macro nutrients to the plants through growing
media provides optimal conditions for plant growth and thus we can expect higher yield
Solid Media Culture:
All types of inert media substrates are used in Aggregate systems
. Hydroponics growing media is a soil less potting medium.
Growing media fulfil two main purposes in hydroponics. Supply oxygen, nutrients and water to
plant root . Physically support to the plant.
ADVANTAGES
• Labour : Reduced labour time of digging and weeding
• Water : Effective recycle resulting reduced water usage
• Nutrition :Even distribution among all plants
• Land : Greater control on environment and yields are predictable.
• Diseases and Pests: Reduced fungal disease, little exposure to moisture
DISADVANTAGES
• High Cost of initial investment to purchase necessary equipments like hydroponic air pump,
timer, lights, filters, containers, growing media, nutrients etc.
• Production is management, capital and labour intensive.
• Highly technical – A high level of technical knowledge and expertise is required.
• Daily attention is necessary.