Hydroponics Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This is the first study reporting the presence of endogenous caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline in all organs of poplar plants. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used in order to evaluate the... more

This is the first study reporting the presence of endogenous caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline in all organs of poplar plants. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used in order to evaluate the uptake, translocation, and metabolism of caffeine-(trimethyl-(13)C) in Populus alba L. Villafranca clone grown in hydroponic conditions. We investigated the remediation of caffeine since it is one of the most widely consumed drugs and it is frequently detected in wastewater treatment plant effluents, surface water, and groundwater worldwide. Our results demonstrated that poplar can absorb and degrade exogenous caffeine without negative effects on plant health. Data showed that concentrations of all endogenous compounds varied depending on caffeine-(trimethyl-(13)C) treatments. In particular, in control conditions, endogenous caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline were mainly distributed in roots. On the other hand, once caffeine-(trimethyl-(13)C) was provided, this compound and its dimethy-(13)C metabolites are mainly localized at leaf level. In conclusion, our results support the possible use of Villafranca clone in association with other water treatment systems in order to complete the process of caffeine remediation.

Day-by-day changing earth's energy balance leads to change in the global climatic conditions. The current climate conditions bring new stresses on agricultural production and prevent sustainable vegetation production in many areas. As a... more

Day-by-day changing earth's energy balance leads to change in the global climatic conditions. The current climate conditions bring new stresses on agricultural production and prevent sustainable vegetation production in many areas. As a result, demand for alternative agricultural practices that will be sustainable in the long term such as aquaponics market or aquaponics farming is increasing throughout the globe. Moreover, strains on the environment from food production have caused declines in biodiversity, soil carbon, and air quality. Issues such as soil erosion, high groundwater salinization from fertilizer/pesticides, and decreased water availability further increases demand for sustainable agricultural production practices, globally. In addition, aquaponics market as compared to the other agricultural production techniques, aquaponics farming eliminates the additional requirement of fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. It is considered that aquaponics uses around 90% less water than traditional farming, and able to grow six times more per square foot than traditional farming. All these environmental benefits are likely to boost the demand of aquaponics in near future.

In recent years the Australian stone-fruit industry has experienced low and at times negative growth in domestic and export sales due to variable fruit quality, oversupply and increased competition from global suppliers. The aim of this... more

In recent years the Australian stone-fruit industry has experienced low and at times negative growth in domestic and export sales due to variable fruit quality, oversupply and increased competition from global suppliers. The aim of this study was to identify Australian consumer preferences to the main interactions between sweetness, acidity and firmness for fresh stone-fruit. Two peach (Snow Fire and Summer Flame 29) and two nectarine (August Fire and Fire Sweet) cultivars (both representing low and high-acidity) were stored and ripened prior to hand sorting into two firmness categories (firm and soft). Separation of fruit into firmness categories was confirmed non-destructively with an acoustic firmness sensor (AWETA). Fruit were then sorted into two sweetness categories (high and low) using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR). Melbourne consumers (n=150) recruited from a major shopping centre tasted fruit and their hedonic responses recorded. Consumers preferred high acid peaches and low acid nectarines. Fruit firmness was the main driver of consumer liking, with acceptance and purchase intent for soft fruit rating significantly higher than firm fruit, irrespective of acid content. Consumer scores for firm peaches were not significantly affected by acid content whereas firm nectarines with low acid achieved significantly higher scores than firm nectarines with high acid within the same sweetness band. Fruit from the sweeter category were preferred over fruit from the lower sweetness category and the effect of high sweetness was more evident in firmer peaches and soft nectarines. This study demonstrates a strong interaction between consumer preferences and fruit firmness. The preference for both sweet and soft fruit presents a major challenge to the industry.

This experiment was conducted as part of a risk mitigation BIOTUBE Precursor hardware demonstration payload aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-101. The objectives were to provide a demonstration and test of the newly developed... more

This experiment was conducted as part of a risk mitigation BIOTUBE Precursor hardware demonstration payload aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-101. The objectives were to provide a demonstration and test of the newly developed BIOTUBE water delivery subsystem, and to determine the optimal water volume and germination paper combination for the automated imbibition and germination of flax (Linum usitatissimum)

P-containing nutrient solutions at concentrations of 5, 20 and 40 ppm, applied through a hydroponics system, provided induced systemic resistance (ISR) against Sphaerotheca fuliginea in young cucumber plants. Protection was expressed as a... more

P-containing nutrient solutions at concentrations of 5, 20 and 40 ppm, applied through a hydroponics system, provided induced systemic resistance (ISR) against Sphaerotheca fuliginea in young cucumber plants. Protection was expressed as a significant reduction (up to 92% compared with control) in the mildewed leaf area. ISR was also expressed as a 53–91% reduction in the number of S. fuliginea conidia per infected leaf area as determined on leaves 1(first true leaf) and 2, at 9 days after inoculation, and on leaves 1–3 at 12 days after inoculation. A concentration of 20 ppm P in the hydroponics solution was found to be optimal for ISR. The optimal P concentration enhanced the uptake and increased the content of Ca in the leaves by 50% compared with the controls. Once the fungus had been established, root-applied P did not affect well-developed colonies, but, foliar application of 1% solution of mono-potassium phosphate (MKP) effectively protected the foliage against powdery mildew, regardless of the P concentration in the nutrient solutions. This treatment was persistent up to 21 days after inoculation, it significantly inhibited powdery mildew development and caused a reduction of 72.3% in sporulation of the fungus as compared with the control. The results suggest different mechanisms for the two phenomena and highlight the role of P in ISR.

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms,... more

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms, acknowledging the complexity arising from sustainability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to direct further activities, to develop technologies as potential solutions for questions related to climate change, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, scarcity of resources, and shortage of drinking water. One approach that promises to address these problems is controlled environment agriculture. Aquaponics (AP) combines two technologies: recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) and hydroponics (plant production in water, without soil) in a closed-loop system. One challenge to the development of this technology is the conversion of the toxic ammonium produced by the fish into nitrate, via bacteria in a biofilter, to provide nitrogen to t...

Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation technology. using same nutrients as present in soil in liquid form has been successfully used in case of horticultural and floricultural plants. Studies were carried out for the first time in Bambusa... more

Hydroponics, a soilless cultivation technology. using same nutrients as present in soil in liquid form has been successfully used in case of horticultural and floricultural plants. Studies were carried out for the first time in Bambusa bambos, for early acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets using hydroponic technique. Results show 100% survival with enhanced shoot number (3.28 shoots/clump), shoot length (11.18 em/clump), root number (7.4 roots/clump) and root length (7.3 em/clump) with well developed rhizome in 15 days period under decreased humid conditions (50- 60%) as compared to control. Further, transplanting in potting mixture (sand: soil: compost = 4:2:4) showed better growth in mist chamber conditions over a period of 7 days and there was no mortality. Direct transplanting of micropropagated plants into potting media (sand: soil: compost =4:2:4) required 35-40 days of acclimatization in high humidity conditions (80-85%) with 100% survival but overall performance was less as compared to plants raised through hydroponics technique. The early development of root and leaf system through hydroponics may confer advantageous in establishment of micropropagated plants under nursery condition.

Executive Summary of Hydroponics Research Report

A plant nutrient delivery system that uses a microporous, hydrophilic tube was developed with potential application for crop production in the microgravity of space. The tube contains a nutrient solution and delivers it to the roots.... more

A plant nutrient delivery system that uses a microporous, hydrophilic tube was developed with potential application for crop production in the microgravity of space. The tube contains a nutrient solution and delivers it to the roots. Pumps attached to the tubing create a very small suction that holds the solution within the tube. This system was used to grow wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Yecora Rojo) for 107 days in a controlled environment at suctions of 0.40, 1.48, or 2.58 kPa. The water absorbed through the pores of the tube by baby diaper sections decreased as suction increased. Correspondingly, final plant biomass, seed number, and spikelet number also tended to decrease as suction increased. The reduced yield at higher suction suggests that the plants experienced water stress, although all suctions were below those typical of soils at field capacity.

The majority of land globally is facing soil degradation. Specifically, many Haitians face severe food insecurity driven in part by a lack of adequate land for agriculture. Hydroponic agriculture is a potential solution to increase food... more

The majority of land globally is facing soil degradation. Specifically, many Haitians face severe food insecurity driven in part by a lack of adequate land for agriculture. Hydroponic agriculture is a potential solution to increase food production and therefore alleviate food insecurity. Hydroponic systems can produce food without the requirement of arable land but are often prohibitively expensive and require electrical and water inputs that are impractical in most of Haiti. There is a need for a simplified form of circulating hydroponics which can produce fruiting crops in high density. This research focused on the development of deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponic systems capable of producing both leafy greens and fruiting crops without electrical power and with water inputs that can be carried by hand. Yields of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Black Seeded Simpson) were not reduced when circulation was decreased by 94%, resulting in significantly higher yields per energy input. ...

Aims: Assess The sustainable production of tomato and cucumber under greenhouse conditions for meeting the challenges of natural resources shortage, food security and economic. Study Design: Two experiments performed in complete... more

Aims: Assess The sustainable production of tomato and cucumber under greenhouse conditions for meeting the challenges of natural resources shortage, food security and economic. Study Design: Two experiments performed in complete randomized blocks with three replicates. Place and Duration of Study: Central Laboratory for Agriculture Climate (CLAC), Agriculture Research Center, Egypt, during two autumn seasons of 2018 and 2019 (tomato) and two spring seasons of 2019 and 2020 (cucumber). Methodology: Different soilless culture systems for producing tomato and cucumber under greenhouse were investigated: Hydroponic systems (Nutrient film technique (NFT) and deep flow technique (DFT)); and substrate systems (Dutch bucket, pot, container, and horizontal bag). Vegetative characteristics, yield parameters, N, P, and K contents, and environmental impact assessment were measured. Results: Substrate systems gave the highest vegetative growth characteristics, yield parameters, N, P and K contents of tomato and cucumber leaves, as well as the highest power use efficiencies compared to hydroponic systems. Container and bags systems gave the highest results of tomato and cucumber vegetative growth, respectively, but the highest yield and net profits records

In this research, an integrated system for sustainable agriculture and environment was designed and built at the experimental farm of Palestine Technical University. The system included: a) Hydroponic unit, b) Aquaponic unit, c) Pilot... more

In this research, an integrated system for sustainable agriculture and environment was designed and built at the experimental farm of Palestine Technical University. The system included: a) Hydroponic unit, b) Aquaponic unit, c) Pilot plant for wastewater treatment, d) Home composter. Lettuce crop was used throughout the research to compare its yield under different agricultural systems. In this regard, lettuce was planted in hydroponic and aquaponic systems, whereas, conventional cultivation of the same crop was performed using direct irrigation with hydroponic solution, direct water effluent from fish rearing tank and effluent from wastewater treatment plant, in addition to control trial using fresh water and fertilizers. Lettuce production in each trial was evaluated using different parameters. The obtained results showed that hydroponic system is the most efficient one, where fast production with little resources could be achieved. Nevertheless, and even acceptable results were obtained in aquaponic system, it was clear that more attention should be applied as fish is affected by the surrounded ambient factors, mainly the temperature. Also, the wastes produced by fish may need more time to be degraded, or does not contain all nutrients needed by plants, thus hinder their growth. Both systems used around 80% less water than growing in soil, which is important especially with the scarcity of water resources for agricultural sector.

This study investigates the economic and environmental value of the use of technologies that convert pollution and waste in one production process to an input in another production process. The study focuses on an aquaponics case study to... more

This study investigates the economic and environmental value of the use of technologies that convert pollution and waste in one production process to an input in another production process. The study focuses on an aquaponics case study to show that the negative externalities borne from intensive fish farming can be internalized without regulatory intervention through a combination of fish farming and hydroponics. The introduction of aquaponics diversified the farmers’ sources of income, yielded savings in the cost of water purification and the cost of fertilizer for the plants’ growth, and resulted in more fish and plant output compared to the unregulated scenario. While deriving these results, we also derive a separation rule for managing live aquatic inventory, which separates expenses (which are affected by the biology of fish) and income.

This long term practical residential training program has the prime objective of teaching potential Soilless Cultivation/Hydroponics aspirants the very basics of this science through step by baby step practical hands-on training. This... more

This long term practical residential training program has the prime objective of teaching potential Soilless Cultivation/Hydroponics aspirants the very basics of this science through step by baby step practical hands-on training. This Course aims to remove all myths and cobwebs that are associated with this technology and teach students right from scratch the technique of growing plants. The idea is to give perspective and an ideal starting point for beginners and entrants to this way of cultivation. At Aggragannya Skill we firmly believe that it is important that one 'start's small, learns hard and then scales up'. Any attempt to dive straight into Commercial cultivation without skill can be an unmitigated disaster. There are several cases of financial losses in India where such entrants have burnt big holes in their pockets. Success in this method is 90 percent horticultural skill. Technology contributes the rest. This is where the 3-month practical training comes in handy.

Aquaponics systems use both aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic arrangement to grow food. The techniques produce high food yield, but are nontrivial to... more

Aquaponics systems use both aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic arrangement to grow food. The techniques produce high food yield, but are nontrivial to implement, needing careful monitoring of pH, temperature, and other parameters. This paper presents the design and initial prototype testing of a complete photovoltaic-powered aquaponics system developed for the Hidden Creek Opportunity Center (HCOC) in Little Rock, AR. The goal of this system was twofold: to provide a sustainable business and educational opportunity for the clients of the HCOC, and to prototype a customizable unit which could be deployed worldwide to provide food and business opportunities in developing nations. The system was designed to meet multiple criteria: off-grid photovoltaic power (for worldwide use), full greenhouse enclosure (for longer growing season), modular components (for easy repair or customization), automated controller (with data collection and internet connectivity to aid remote troubleshooting), vertical column growing tubes (to minimize environmental footprint), and total system cost of less than $3,000. The design and data reported here will be beneficial for the next generation of inexpensive, robust, sustainable, and easy-to-use aquaponics systems.

This was a proposal made by an NGO with whom we worked.
It is a document aimed at getting USAID for simplified hydroponics projects in India to create livelihood and sustainability for the people.

Aeroponic farming is one of the most popular hydroponic farming methods used in the world. Aeroponic systems are mainly three types: HPA (High Pressure Aeroponics), LPA (Low Pressure Aeroponics) and Fogponics. Throughout the literature... more

Aeroponic farming is one of the most popular hydroponic farming methods used in the world. Aeroponic systems are mainly three types: HPA (High Pressure Aeroponics), LPA (Low Pressure Aeroponics) and Fogponics. Throughout the literature review, it can be seen that the droplet sizes of various aeroponic nozzles were minimally reported. Even though there have been mentions of effects of droplet sizes in plant growth, much studies have not been conducted specifically for this purpose. This study was sought to determine the sizes of high pressure aeroponic atomizers (nutrient droplet sizes) and determine an average droplet size.

The word hydroponics has its derivation from the combination of two Greek words, hydro meaning water and ponos meaning labour, i.e., working water. Hydroponics used to be considered a system where there was no growing media at all, such... more

The word hydroponics has its derivation from the combination of two Greek words, hydro meaning water and ponos meaning labour, i.e., working water. Hydroponics used to be considered a system where there was no growing media at all, such as the nutrient film technique in vegetables. But today it's accepted that a soil-less growing medium is often used to support the plant root system physically and provide for a favourable buffer of solution around the root system. The system that is used will be automated to prevent many disadvantages that we have in a manual system.

Urban Farming (UF) as compared to its conventional counterpart is a highly intense method of farming. As the global population shifts towards cities, UF may be seen as a necessary alternative to meet the rising demands for food since... more

Urban Farming (UF) as compared to its conventional counterpart is a highly intense method of farming. As the global population shifts towards cities, UF may be seen as a necessary alternative to meet the rising demands for food since essential resources are easily accessible in cities. By controlling the environmental factors, this method allows the farmers to produce crops throughout the year. However, UF practices in Indian cities remain under-reported in scholarly works. In this context, the authors investigated twenty-five existing UF practices in eight Indian cities of the warm humid climate zone. A literature-based theoretical framework was first prepared to identify the required sets of data and design the interview questionnaire. Data was collected through a primary field survey, first-hand observations, photo documentation, and in-depth interviews with the practitioners. Three types of farms were found - personal, community, and commercial farms. The main resources used in farming, various techniques adopted and vegetable choices including yield were closely examined. Techniques like semi-soil-less and soil-less farming, preparation of various growth media, nutrient sources, compost types, and waste decomposers were noted. Annual average water and energy consumption per unit area of farming were assessed, which were found to be 1135.67 litre/m 2 /year and 56.06 kWh/m 2 /year across all farm types. The annual average yield of the farms was also recorded. The annual average water and energy efficiency of the farm productions were found to be 58 litre/kg and 1.93 kWh/kg. The commercial farms were more water-efficient with higher yield compared to the other two classes, while the personal farms were the most energy efficient. These findings are presented in this paper to understand the functionalities and merits of UF in the Indian context.

Nowadays, many land areas are being transformed into commercial and residential places due to the increasing human population. This leads to a decrease in areas allotted for planting. Alternative ways for growing plants have been... more

Nowadays, many land areas are being transformed into commercial and residential places due to the increasing human population. This leads to a decrease in areas allotted for planting. Alternative ways for growing plants have been introduced to maximize planting despite the shortage of space; one of which is the hydroponics system. With hydroponics, the substrate used is water instead of soil. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of hydroponics as a medium for growth compared to the traditional soil medium. Six stems of malunggay (Moringa oleifera) were used in the study. Three of which were used in the hydroponics set-up, while the other three were used in the soil set-up. All set-ups were added with ten mL of fertilizer, containing 13.0 % nitrogen, 13.0 % phosphate, and 2.00 % soluble potash. Ten days after planting, the fresh and dry weight of each stem were measured and compared to the original weight. The malunggay stems grown in the hydroponics set-up had a greater average weight difference between the original weight and the fresh weight than the malunggay stems grown in soil. The greater difference signifies a greater assimilation of nutrients. This implies that hydroponics is a more effective method for growing M. oleifera stem. However, it is recommended that more time should be allotted in conducting the study for more observable differences on the growth of the malunggay stem.

Smart farming is seen to be the future of agriculture as it produces higher quality of crops by making farms more intelligent in sensing its controlling parameters. Analyzing massive amount of data can be done by accessing and connecting... more

Smart farming is seen to be the future of agriculture as it produces higher quality of crops by making farms more intelligent in sensing its controlling parameters. Analyzing massive amount of data can be done by accessing and connecting various devices with the help of Internet of Things (IoT). However, it is not enough to have an Internet support and self-updating readings from the sensors but also to have a self-sustainable agricultural production with the use of analytics for the data to be useful. This study developed a smart hydroponics system that is used in automating the growing process of the crops using exact inference in Bayesian Network (BN). Sensors and actuators are installed in order to monitor and control the physical events such as light intensity, pH, electrical conductivity, water temperature, and relative humidity. The sensor values gathered were used to build the Bayesian Network in order to infer the optimum value for each parameter. A web interface is developed wherein the user can monitor and control the farm remotely via the Internet. Results have shown that the fluctuations in terms of the sensor values were minimized in the automatic control using BN as compared to the manual control. The yielded crop on the automatic control was 66.67% higher than the manual control which implies that the use of exact inference in BN aids in producing high-quality crops. In the future, the system can use higher data analytics and longer data gathering to improve the accuracy of inference.

Hydroponics is cultivating crops in nutrient solution or media without soil. There are several advantages to hydroponic culture. Some of the problems associated with conventional soil culture such as poor soil structure, poor drainage,... more

Hydroponics is cultivating crops in nutrient solution or media without soil. There are several advantages to hydroponic culture. Some of the problems associated with conventional soil culture such as poor soil structure, poor drainage, salinity, lack of fertile soil and water shortage, as well as weeds and soilborne pathogens, are eliminated. With hydroponics, there is no need for soil, and only about one twenty-fifth as much water is needed as in conventional farming. In areas where fresh water is not available as the desert regions the hydroponics may be the only system that can be used to grow successfully vegetable crops. So, the desert regions of the world may be such places, where hydroponics has important application. There are many classifications for hydroponic system. In the present study, the closed and open systems were used. The tested substrates were perlite, sand, perlite + peat (4: I. v/v), sand + peat (4: I. v/v) and sand+ peat + perlite (3:1:1, v/v/v). The current study was conducted with lettuce, Lactuca sativa. The total yield was higher with the closed systems compared with open ones. Perlite and peat mixture gave the highest yields among the tested substrates. The highest nutrient consumptions were obtained from perlite + peat (4: I. v/v). Also, the results obtained indicated that in the closed system could save both water and nutrient consumption.

For 4 months in the Albertan Prairies of Canada, I followed Kealan Gell, CEO and co-founder of Off-Grid Gas & Fertilizers. Together we built a new prototype of his micro-scale Anaerobic Digesters. You can find here its performances and... more

For 4 months in the Albertan Prairies of Canada, I followed Kealan Gell, CEO and co-founder of Off-Grid Gas & Fertilizers. Together we built a new prototype of his micro-scale Anaerobic Digesters. You can find here its performances and some design details.
The detailed design is protected until patent release.

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms,... more

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms, acknowledging the complexity arising from sustainability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to direct further activities, to develop technologies as potential solutions for questions related to climate change, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, scarcity of resources, and shortage of drinking water. One approach that promises to address these problems is controlled environment agriculture. Aquaponics (AP) combines two technologies: recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) and hydroponics (plant production in water, without soil) in a closed-loop system. One challenge to the development of this technology is the conversion of the toxic ammonium produced by the fish into nitrate, via bacteria in a biofilter, to provide nitrogen to the plants. However, as this Special Issue shows, there are many other challenges that need to be addressed if the goal of the technology is to contribute to more sustainable food production systems.

Today, controlled environment agriculture, notably greenhouse food crops production has emerged to be the most intense forms of agricultural enterprises to overcome the multidimensional manifestations of climate change, fresh water... more

Today, controlled environment agriculture, notably greenhouse food crops production has emerged to be the most intense forms of agricultural enterprises to overcome the multidimensional manifestations of climate change, fresh water scarcity, and pressing need of the growing food demand. Hydroponic culture, a soilless cultivation technology with the application of nutrient medium, has become the fastest growing and second generation of crop production system in agricultural industry. These hydroponic systems are enclosed in greenhouse-type structures to provide temperature control, reduce
evaporative water loss, preventive control of disease and pest infections, and protection against the changing weather. In this work, the application of nutrient film technique for selected food crop models
cultivation under controlled environment, for the investigation of different toxic heavy metal pollutants on the food crops quality and yield has been attempted. The physical growth of food crops has been elucidated, in relation to the seed germination, and elongation of roots and shoots. The physiological alterations of photosynthesis pigment content, proline accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and enzymatic antioxidants in food crops were evaluated. Results showed that the roots and shoots length were significantly retarded parallel with the concentration of water pollutants and duration of exposure. These metal ions induced lipid peroxidation, disruption of chlorophylls, and stimulate the accumulation of proline and alterations of antioxidant enzymes: catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. These findings justified the feasibility of hydroponic cultivation technique, and the possible impacts of wastewater reuse irrigation practice on food crops. This project could be a preliminary step for the development of hydroponic agricultural system, an emerging concept in the future urban agriculture planning. This current research would contribute to the nation and scientific communities, in terms of potential reuse of treated wastewater for food crops production, governance of national water and land footprint, substantial reduction in the excessive application of agrochemicals, and potential improvement of the quality of food crops and environmental sustainability.

Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research, Haldwani has successfully developed a hydroponics system by clubbing the soil less cultivation with rain water harvesting technology. The institute has also developed a suitable nutrient... more

Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research, Haldwani has successfully developed a hydroponics system by clubbing the soil less cultivation with rain water harvesting technology. The institute has also developed a suitable nutrient composition suitable for wide range of vegetables. Among the various varieties/hybrids grown in hydroponics, cucumber line PC 4C-8 exhibited the maximum fruit yield (448.3 q/ha). Among the various tomato hybrids, Avinash-2 exhibited highest yield (1052 q/ha) and number of fruits (154 per sq m) whereas TSS, total sugars, crude protein and minerals content were the maximum in tomato hybrid DARL-304. Interestingly, hydroponics system prolonged the harvesting period by 45 days in tomato. Plant population density of 6 plants/m2 was found optimum with the highest fruit yield in tomato and cucumber. Tomato hybrid DARL-304 exhibited higher fruit yield (6.5 kg/plant). Hydroponics system have been found successful in Auli (9000’ MSL), Joshimath with fruit yield of 2.25 kg/plant to 3.79 kg/plant in tomato. The yield was higher in rain water as comparison to river water. The article deals with the hydroponics technology in detail vis-à-vis efforts made at DIBER for standardization of hydroponics technology. It is envisaged that experience gained in successful cultivation of various crops in hydroponics using single nutrient solution at various altitudes through research stations of the institute.

Agriculture has been the most common way of food resources for centuries, and it is also closely linked to food security, rural development, and poverty reduction. Traditionally, soil has been thought to be the most important prerequisite... more

Agriculture has been the most common way of food resources for centuries, and it is also closely linked to food security, rural development, and poverty reduction. Traditionally, soil has been thought to be the most important prerequisite for growing food crops, but hydroponics techniques are currently considered one of the most popular plant-growing systems around the world. Plants are grown in a soil-free environment with the appropriate fertiliser solution, exactly required water, and no pesticides. Hydroponics is classified into distinct systems based on the principles of operation. Hydroponics has been utilised as a standard method for many aspects of plant biology research employing various systems, automation, and operation control methods. Aside from promoting healthy plant growth, using hydroponics there are other various advantages, including year-round production, enhanced yields, quality, and environmental benefits. Much research has been conducted utilising hydroponics to investigate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. This agriculture system will aid in the advancement of technology as a mission for future generations to become a self-sustaining model, as it is a promising way in the face of a global food security crisis.

Perlite substrate and nutrient solution were studied for growing carrot [Daucus carota L. cv. Dr. Carotene 5] hydroponically. Three independent studies were conducted to determine the size of perlite particle and concentrations of... more

Perlite substrate and nutrient solution were studied for growing carrot [Daucus carota L. cv. Dr. Carotene 5] hydroponically. Three independent studies were conducted to determine the size of perlite particle and concentrations of nutrient solution for growing carrot in hydroponics by evaluating their effects on growth, root yield and qualities of carrot. In the first study, carrots were grown in 1.2 or 5.0 mm with 12.5, 25, 50 and 75% ‘Enshi’ nutrient solution. Plants grown in 1.2 mm perlites with 50 and 75% nutrient solution produced about 15 and 28% higher root yield, respectively than those plants grown in 5.0 mm with same concentration, which was attributed by its longer roots. In the second study, carrots were grown in 0.6, 1.2, 2.5, and 5.0 mm perlites and with 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300% of nutrient solution. It was found that, carrot plants grown in 0.6 mm perlite supplied with 100% nutrient solution produced significantly higher root yield compared to larger perlite particles and higher concentrations of nutrient solution. In the third study, once used perlites of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 mm particle and 50, 75, 100, and 150% nutrient solution were investigated and greater root yield was obtained from carrots grown in 0.6 mm than in 0.3 or 1.2 mm perlite with 75% nutrient solution. Carrots grown in 0.3 mm perlites produced shorter roots, wider near the proximal end and whitish in the distal end due to excessive water content causing oxygen deficiency. Carrot root length was greatly hampered leading to decreased root yield in plants grown in 0.3 mm perlites compared to other perlite sizes at all concentrations except 100%. This ultra fine perlite hold excessive water causing oxygen deficiency in the substrate air zone and as a result roots become whitish with reduced amount of carotenoids content. Reused perlite culture in the third study lead to maximum root yield at 75% nutrient solution whereas it was with 100% in the second study, which was possibly due to residual nutrient available in the reused perlite which in turn lowers the demand of nutrients in the second culture. Year and growing season along with reused perlite has results in lower root yield and quality in the last two cultures in autumn 2009 and 2010. Therefore, we recommended 0.6 mm perlite and 100% (for first culture) or 75% (for second culture) ‘Enshi’ nutrient solution for growing carrots hydroponically with maximum yield and higher quality.