FILM FARING IS A SOIL LESS FARIMNG TECHNIQUE WHICH REDUCES THE REQUIREMENT OF FERTILIZERS UPTO 60% AND WATER UPTO 90% .IT USES A WATER SOLUBLE POLYMER CALLED THE HYDORGEL AND A WATER DRIP SYSTEM.THIS TECHNIQUE USES POLY HOUSE SO CAN BE SET UP ANYWHERE.IT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CONVERTING HOT AND COLD ARID AREAS GREEN. T

1. NAME OF PRESENTER: OJASVINI AHLUWALIA
NAME OF INS: UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,
PANJAB UNIVERSITY,CHANDIGARH
SECOND AUTHOR: DR A P SINGH
SRI GURU GOBIND SINGH COLLEGE, SECTOR 26, CHANDIGARH
The Film Farming –
A New Concept for Sustainable
Agriculture in Arid Areas
ENS/0153

2. INTRODUCTION
 The Film Farming is a new concept in
Water Saving Technologies and
hydroponics, a soil less farming
technique.
 It has tremendous potential for
sustainable agriculture in cold and hot
arid areas.
 The technology has recently been
commercialized and is rooted in research
on hydromemebrane films.
 The film is made of a water soluble
polymer and hydrogel and looks like a
plastic sheet.

3.  For growing plants, it is equipped with a water drip
system.
 The film provides medium for roots to support
plants but prevents passage of bacterial and viral
pathogens.
 The technology reduces the requirement of water
and fertilizers and is found to be the appropriate
solution to farming in water scarce regions and
degraded soils.
 The stress forces plants to increase production of
amino acids and vitamins to increase the extent of
water absorption.
 Increased abundance of amino acids and vitamins
not only turn plant products more nutritive but also
improves their taste.

4.  The overall benefits include: 50%
enhancement of plant yield, reduced
requirement of fertilizers by 60% and
water by 90%.
 Some workers have found it to be a viable
preposition for even ice and concrete.
People have already started dreaming to
turn Mega-deserts green.

5. @ COURTESY AGRICEL

6. METHODOLOGY
1. HYDROMEMBRANE
 It a thin layer of film with a 60cm width and 0.06mm
thickness.
 It is soft and flexible and does not lose shape and saves
water.
 The hydromemebrane film absorbs the nutrients released
from the lower drip tube, where it is held by the film.
 It does not penetrate through to the plant side, until the
plant’s extremely thin yet very dense roots induce
osmotic shift which allows the absorption of nutrients
and water.
 This creates high nutrient produce using minimal water
and space.
 The hydromembrane does not allow the passage of
bacterial and viral pathogens, thereby minimizing the use
of pesticides.

7. @ COURTESY AGRICEL

8. 2. THE DRIP SYSTEM
 It acts as a water and fertilizer supplier.
 The drip system is laid above and beneath
the hydromembrane so as to evenly supply
the nutrients and water to plants above
the hydromembrane.
 The tubes of drip system do not penetrate
the hydromembrane.
 The drip system is equipped with a control
device to keep a check on amount of water
dispersed through the tubes.

9. @ COURTESY GOOGLE
IMAGES

10. 3. GREEN HOUSE
 It is a Glass or Polyhouse with controlled
temperature and air conditions; within
which film and drip system is equipped
 It enables use of film farming in nearly any
climatic zones
 The size of Green House depends on the
available space and requirement.

11. @ COURTESY APPROPEDIA
GREEN HOUSE

12. RESULTS
 Film Farming enhances plant yield by 50 %,
reduced requirement of fertilizers by 60
% and water by 90 %.
 Plant products are more nutritive and
tastier due to high Vitamins and amino acid
contents.
 Plants grown with this technique are found
to be more resilient with enhanced seed
germination and an improved plant survival
rates.
 Fruits and vegetables — including cherry
tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and melons —
have proven to grow well on the film.

13. Reduction in requirement of water by 90 %.
@ COURTESY GOOGLE
IMAGES

14. CHERRIES GROWN THROUGH FILM FARMING
@ COURTESY AGRICEL

15. CONCLUSIONS
The Film Farming reduces the
requirement of water and
fertilizers and is well suited to
regions with water scarcity and
degraded soils.
Involves use of poly-house and can
be set up anywhere in any climatic
zonations.

16. FUTURE PROSPECTS
TURNING MEGA DESERTS LIKE SAHARA AND THAR GREEN
SNOW CLAD AREAS OR PERMAFROST AREAS CAN BE EMPLOYED
@ COURTESY GOOGLE
IMAGES

17. REFERENCES
 Mori, Y (2013) New agro-technology (Imec)
by hydrogel memebrane. Reactive & Functional
Polymers. 73:936 – 938
 Okamoto, A. Fujii M, Yoshioka H & Mori, Y
(2008) Plant Culture System.
WO/2008/035580
 Agricel 2013: http://wwwagricel.co/
 http://www.appropedia.org
 http://www.livescience.com
 http://www.asiaworldevents.com