2. Soil less Vegetable Cultivation
Presented By :
S. SHARVESH
Department of Horticulture,
Annamalai University
2
3. Introduction
History
Status Of Soilless Vegetable Cultivation
Types Of Soilless Cultivation
Crop Nutrition In Soilless Cultivation
Raising Seedlings Of Vegetable Crops Using Protrays
Soilless Cultivation Of Major Vegetable Crops
Irrigation Management In Soilless Cultivation
Work Done In Himachal Pradesh
Advantages Of Soilless Vegetable Cultivation
Disadvantages Of Soilless Vegetable Cultivation
Conclusion
Way To Forward
Contents
3
4. Introduction
Due to a rapid increase in world population, soil based
cultivation facing many challenges
Major challenge is the reduction in per capita land available for
soil-based farming
This leads to other agricultural and environmental issues
Need to develop advanced technologies and techniques
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5. Soil less cultivation
Soil less agriculture - new promising method for improving
cultivation of different vegetable crops
Soil less vegetable cultivation can be defined as “any method
of growing vegetable crops without the use of soil as a rooting
medium, in which the nutrients absorbed by the roots are
supplied through the irrigation water”
Can run places like; ,deserts, balconies, roof of the buildings ,
various greenhouses and land suitable for cultivation
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6. History
Scientist Contribution
Robert Boyle (1666) Experiments on growing plants with their roots
submerged in water
John Wooward (1699) Published water culture experiments
Julius von Sachs
(German botanists, 1860)
Mineral nutrient solutions for soilless culture of
plants
William Frederick Gericke
(California,1929 )
First proposed commercial water culture system
W. F. G. (1937) Derived the term hydroponics from 2 Greek
words ‘hydro’- ‘water’ and ‘ponos’- ‘labour’
meaning culture of plants in water.
In 1930 Pacific Ocean used hydroponics
Allen Cooper (England ,
1960)
Developed the Nutrient Film Technique
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7. History of Soil less Cultivation in India
W. J. S. Duglas during 1946 started hydroponics in India
and established a laboratory in Kalimpong area, West
Bengal.
He also wrote a book on Hydroponics The Bengal
System.
In India, crops such as potato, tomato, green bean,
carrot, cucumber, etc. were successfully grown by soilless
culture.
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8. Status of Soilless Vegetable Cultivation
In recent decades, NASA has done extensive hydroponic research for
its Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)
In 2007, Eurofresh Farms in Willcox, Arizona, sold more than 200
million pounds of hydroponically grown tomatoes
In 2017, Canada had hundreds of acres of large-scale commercial
hydroponic greenhouses, producing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers
A USDA spokesperson said in an Nov. 2 2017, e-mail said that
hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic production systems remain
eligible for organic certification.
In the U.S. there are likely more than 100 hydroponic operations that
are certified as organic
The global hydroponics market is forecast to grow from US$226.45
million in 2016 to US$724.87 million by 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hydroponics
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9. Types of Soil less Cultivation
Types of Soilless cultivation
(A) Open cultivation (B) Close cultivation
1. Root dipping
technique
2. Hanging bag technique
3.Trench method
1. Hydroponics technique
2. Aeroponic technique
3. Aquaponics technique
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10. A. Open cultivation:
In this method, diluted nutrients are utilized for every
irrigation pattern
The plants uptake nutrient solutions which are usually
delivered by dripping system
Adequate amount of nutrients are synchronized in the root
zone
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11. 1. Root dipping technique
Under this process, plants are cultured in pots having small holes at the
bottom.
These are filled with substrate medium like coconut fibre and are placed
in a container having nutrient solution.
Minimum 1–3 cm of the lower portion of the pots remains in close
contact with the nutrient medium.
Only few roots are partly submerged in the nutrient media and some just
hang in the air.
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13. 2. Hanging bag technique
Long cylinder shaped polythene bags are utilized which are closed
at the lower end and connected to PVC pipes at the upper portion
These are hanged vertically above a nutrient supplement tank &
planting materials such as seeds, fruits, etc. acclimatized in netted
pots are firmly pressed into holes
A micro sprinkler is used to circulate the nutrient medium to the top
of each hanging bag
Using this technique, vegetables like; lettuce, can grown
successfully
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15. 3.Trench method/ Technique
In this method, small herbs and shrubs are grown on trenches
constructed using bricks or concrete blocks on or above ground
To prevent the growth media from direct contact with the ground,
the inner linings of trenches are covered with thick polythene sheets
The shape and size of the trenches vary from crop to crop grown in
them
All nutrient supplements along with water are delivered through the
dripping process
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17. B. Closed cultivation:
Closed farming models incorporate both primary as well as
modern culture frameworks
Diluted concentrations of nutrients are marked and balanced
for reuse
Difficult to maintain the calibration of nutrients in a hydroponic
system as the dissolved supplements must be tested in a regular
time interval to obtain better results
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18. 1. Hydroponics technique
Growing plants without soil by instead using mineral nutrient
solutions in a water solvent
Plants are fed with nutrient solution containing all minerals and
nutrients
Leading countries in hydroponic technology are Netherland,
Australia, France, England, Israel, Canada and USA
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20. Types of Hydroponics technique
Simplest of all types of hydroponic systems because
traditionally it doesn’t have any moving parts so, it doesn’t use
any pumps or electricity
Wick- connecting between the potted plant and food solution in
the existing reservoir
Easy to build so , this type of hydroponic system is also often
used by teachers in classrooms as experiments for kids
In wick system the plants are cultivated in substrate
1. Wick system
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22. 2.Water culture or deep water culture
Straight forward form of hydroponics systems
Plants are floating by float platform on a bath of hydroponic
nutrient solution
Oxygen is supplied by an air pump that runs continuously
The plants are floating and continuously in contact with the
nutrient solution
There is no risk of damage to plants in the event of a power
outage or stop the air pump
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24. 3.Nutrient film technique (NFT)
Developed by Cooper in England during 1960s
The plant roots remain in contact with the nutrient solution
Continuous supply of nutrient solution is maintained by
submerged motor pump inside the culture vessel
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31. Advantages & Disadvantages of Hydroponics Technique
Advantages
Crops using hydroponic can be
grown where soil is unsuitable for
traditional agriculture like desert
areas
Soil boene diseases are highly
reduced due the absence of soil
Bigger and higher yields are
obtained
Disadvantages
Initial costs to develop
hydroponic system is higher
Deeper knowledge and careful
study along with skilled labour
is needed
Needs more attention and small
mistakes may lead to much
losses
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32. Productivity, Quality and Economics of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)
Cultivation in Aggregate Hydroponics
Asha Joseph and I. Muthuchamy
Coimbatore Region of Tamil Nadu
Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol 7(8), 1078–1086,
MATERIALAND METHODS
Three different hydroponic systems, i.e., tray, trough & pot and three
different media combinations, i.e., cocopeat+gravel+silex stone,
cocopeat+pebble+silex stone & cocopeat+perlite+silex stone, constituted the
factors of the treatments.
RESULT
Maximum yield (4.9 kg/plant), highest productivity & highest (benefit
cost) B/C ratio (4.52) was observed in cocopeat+gravel+silex stone
treatment.
This treatment can be adopted for commercial production of tomato.
Case Study
32
33. MATERIALAND METHODS
Plants were subjected to seven nitrogen (N) concentrations, i.e. 0, 30, 60, 90,
120, 150 and 180 mg L−1 N using ammonium nitrate.
RESULT
Nitrogen treatments did not have a significant effect on leaf fresh and dry mass,
root fresh and dry mass, number leaves and leaf area.
Leaf ascorbic acid and total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity peaked at
100 and 120 mg L−1 N, whereas leaf chlorophyll concentration linearly increased
with increasing N application.
The results indicate that a solution N concentration of 100 and 120 mg L−1 may
be sufficient to improve growth, yield and quality parameters of leafy lettuce
grown in non-circulating hydroponic system.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth, yield and quality response to nitrogen
fertilization in a non-circulating hydroponic system.
Mahlangu
Journal of Plant Nutrition, Volume 39, 2016 – Issue 12
Case Study
33
34. 3. Aeroponic technique
The aeroponics system is one of the most advanced types of
hydroponics system
In this technique, the supplement solution is sprayed to create
a fine mist around the root system inside the chamber
Mostly leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, etc. are grown
The leading countries in aeroponic technique China and USA
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42. Why Aeroponic Technique ?
Delivers nutrients directly to the
plant roots
Closed-loop system conserves
water
Conserves water through runoff
absorption into roots
Moisture control for better plant
growth
Can be combined with hydroponics
Crops are easier to harvest in the
absence of soil
Higher density crops optimizes
output
Produces higher quality food in a
controlled environment
Reduced risk of disease and pest
infestation in a controlled
environment
Roots are provided with better
exposure to oxygen
Produces more food with less
effort
42
43. Advantages and Disadvantages of Aeroponic
Technique
Advantages
Crops are grown close
together, so more crops can
be grown
Plants are not exposed to
soil disease or bacteria, so
no pesticide is needed
The crops mature faster,
which means there will be
more harvests
Disadvantages
A lot of money is needed to
set-up an aeroponics farm
Many consumers believe that
aeroponically grown plants
are not as nutritious as other
grown plants
Maintenance of an
aeroponics farm is difficult
43
44. Growth Responses and Root Characteristics of Lettuce Grown in
Aeroponics, Hydroponics, and Substrate Culture.
Qiansheng Li, Xiaoqiang Li, Bin Tang and Mengmeng Gu
Journal of Horticulture, 2018 Volume 75, Issue- 7 (China)
MATERIALAND METHODS
The research was conducted to know growth response and root
characteristics of lettuce grown in aeroponics , hydroponics and
substrate culture.
RESULTS
Aeroponics remarkably improved root growth with a significantly
greater root biomass, root/shoot ratio, and greater total root length, root
area, and root volume.
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Case Study
45. AP News reported that a team of scientists at Germany’s Neumayer
Station III in Antarctica had successfully grown their first crop
of produce without any soil, sunlight, or pesticides.
The goal of the project was to explore food growing methods for
use on outer space missions.
In total the researchers harvested eight pounds of salad greens,
including swiss chard, 18 cucumbers, and 70 radish, grown
through aeroponics
The plants receive nutrients through a liquid nutrient solution
sprayed onto their roots, and bask in LED lights in air that’s
enriched with CO2.
Scientists in Antarctica Grow Food Without Soil or Sunlight — Get
Ready, Mars By Catherine Lamb - April 9, 2018 “ Eden ISS” project
Newsletter
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46. The growing system and greenhouse are part of the “ Eden ISS”
project, in association with the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
Since they rely on aeroponic mists and LED lights instead of
sunlight and soil, these growing systems can support produce
throughout the entire year, and in variable weather conditions
including, apparently, the -20 °C (-4 °F) chill of Antarctica.
This update from Antarctica shows that astronauts could replicate
this growing system in space and cultivate a wide variety of fruits
and vegetables in their ships and possibly, someday, even on Mars or
the Moon.
Continue…
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49. Aqua agriculture (Aquaponics)
In this techniques aquatic animals such as
snails, fish, crayfish or prawns are grown
in tanks with combination of hydroponics
in which plants are grown in water in a
symbiotic environment
Water from the fish tank is pumped to the
plants
Bacteria convert ammonia and nitrite to
nitrate
Plants absorb the nutrient rich water
Filtered water is returned to the fish tank,
clean
The leading countries in aquaponics are
Israel, India, China and Africa
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52. Why Aquaponics Technique?
Uses a fraction of the water, about 10% of soil growing
No need to purchase fertilizer
No soil-borne diseases, no tilling, no weeds
Grow two food products together, protein and produce high fish stocking
density, high crop yield.
No pesticides or herbicides, only fish fertilizer
Works in draught or places with poor soil quality
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53. Advantages of Aquaponic Technique
Reduce labour
Not required farm land and soil
Fish feed is the only nutrient inputs
Aquaculture waste products are used
It protect our river and lakes
Heath and Nutrition rate
Provides income from two separate products
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54. Disadvantages of Aquaponic
Technique
High initial cost
Difficult to grow root crops
Require high skills and experience
Constant monitoring of water parameter
Limitations concerned with fish species reared
Competitive market prices
Required electric energy to maintain and recycle water within the
system
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55. RESULTS
Aquaponics (AP) and Hydroponics (HP) treatments exhibited similar
plant growth, whereas the shoot weight of the CAP treatment showed
a significant growth rate increase of 39% on average compared to the
HP and AP treatments.
Additionally, the root weight was similar in AP and complemented
aquaponic (CAP) treatments, and both were significantly higher than
that observed in the HP treatment.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Sucrine) Growth Performance in
Complemented Aquaponics Solution Outperforms Hydroponics
Boris Delaide, Simon Goddek, James Gott, Helene Soyeurt and Haissam Jijakli
Water (2016) : 8: 467
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Case Study
56. Crop Nutrition in Soil less
Cultivation
All essential plant nutrients supplied through the nutrient
solution, with the exception of carbon, taken up from the air as
CO2
To prepare nutrient solutions containing all essential nutrients,
inorganic fertilizers are used as nutrient sources, except for
iron, which is added in chelated form to improve its availability
for the plants
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57. Macro-Elements:
1. Nitrogen
2. Phosphorous
3. Potassium
4. Calcium
5. Magnesium
6. Sulphur
Essential elements for the plant
growth & Development
Microelements:
1. Iron
2. Manganese
3. Copper
4. Zinc
5. Boron
6. Chlorine
7. Molybdenum
8. Nickel
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59. Physical and chemical characteristics of soilless mediums
( Abad et al., (2005) and Asiah et al., (2004)).
Substrate Bulk density Water
retention
Porosity Cation exchange
capacity
Decomposition
rate (C:N)
Bagasse Low High Low Medium High
Sawdust Low High Medium High High
Rice hulls Low Low High Medium Medium
Vermiculite Low High Medium High Low
Peat moss Low High High High Medium
Bark Low Medium Medium Medium Medium
Coconut / Coir
Dust
Low High High Medium Low
Sand High Low Medium Low Low
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62. Irrigation management in soilless
culture
Continuous supply of water is maintained by submerged motor
pump inside the culture vessel
Water is transport to the root zone
Should have good knowledge “when” to irrigate and “how much”
to apply.
When the flow of water is interrupted , the roots of crops dry out
very rapidly
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63. Impact of irrigation on yield and
quality
Controlled watering could be used to balance vegetative growth
with generative development in fruiting vegetables and to
regulate fruit size (Tomato , Brinjal ,etc)
Water availability and irrigation timing may also influence the
flavour of vegetables
Overall, water shortage generally tends to increase the ascorbic
acid content in fruit; increasing the water supply reduces lycopene,
ß-carotene, vitamins and minerals, as well as total antioxidant
capacity (Gruda, 2009)
63
64. Raising seedlings of vegetable crops
using protrays
Combination of 3 ingredients like cocopeat, vermiculite and perlite are
used as rooting medium for raising the nursery
These ingredients are mixed in 3:1:1 ratio before filling in the required
containers
Media contains coarse textured peat which provides better drainage and
aeration therefore , promotes better root development of transplants
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67. Why Soil less Pro-trays Seedlings?
Proper germination
Provides independent area for each seed to germinate
Reduce mortality rate
Maintain uniform and healthy growth of seedlings
Easy to handle and store
Reliable and economical in transportation
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68. Soil less cultivation of major
vegetable crops
Types of crops Name of the crops
Fruit Vegetables Tomato, Chilli, Brinjal, Green Bean, Beet, Winged Beans,
Bell Pepper, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Melons, Radish,
Onion
Leafy Vegetables Lettuce, Water Spinach/Kang Kong, Spinach, Coriander
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71. Aeroponic technology for potato seed production at
ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla
Since 2011, the aeroponics system has been commercialised to
several companies by CPRI.
Currently CPRI produces 3,186.82 tonnes seed of 25 varieties,
70 percent is through conventional net house and field system and
30 percent through high tech and tissue culture based system.
The institute has generated revenue of Rs one crore as licensing fee
by commercialization of this technology to 14 firms from different
states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Haryana.
Each firm was licensed to produce 10 lakh mini tuber by aeroponic
system.
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72. MATERIALS AND METHODS
15 different combinations were used comprising five growing media
Three fertigation levels of 150 kg NPK/ha, 200 kg NPK/ha and 250 kg
NPK/ha followed through water soluble fertilizer.
RESULTS
Vermicompost + sand (2:1) Azotobacter +Phosphate Solublizing Bacteria
with 250 kg NPK/ha of fertigation developed superior quality of capsicum
with increased yield
Effect of different soilless growing media and fertigation levels on sweet
pepper production under protected conditions
Saurabh
Dr.Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan
(Thesis 2013)
Case study
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73. Success story
Aranha.2019.Mumbaikar Quits Singapore Job to Grow Soil-Less Food,
Earns Rs 15 Lakh/Year Teaching Others.
Alternative farming journey began with a small 100 sq ft hydroponic unit
on his terrace in Navi Mumbai & later increased upto 150 sq ft where,
produces about 1.2 tons of leafy greens in a year.
success led him to purchase a 15-acre land in Raigad and moved on to
establish the Center for Research in Alternative Farming Technologies
(CRAFT) which trained over 2,000 farmers in hydroponics and aquaponics.
Presently, he trains 30 people each month, charging between Rs 3,000-
5,500. This amounts to nearly Rs 15-20 lakh annually
https://www.thebetterindia.com › Stories
73
74. Advantages of soil less vegetable
cultivation
Early nursery raising and easy management,
Production of healthy vegetable seedlings (Free from biotic and
abiotic stresses)
Protect from adverse weather conditions
Off season and year round production
Higher productivity and uniform quality
Management of insect-pests, diseases and weeds is easier
74
75. Disadvantages of Soil less Vegetable
Cultivation
Cost of initial investment on hydroponic systems is high
Hydroponic production is management, capital and labor
intensive
A high level of expertise is required
Daily attention is necessary
Specially formulated, soluble nutrients must always be used
Pests and diseases remain a big risk
Some water born diseases can spread rapidly in recirculation
system
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76. Conclusion
Gradual decline of arable land all around the world it becomes necessary to
seek new alternate technologies for mass production of crop.
Soilless farming has tremendous potential in the coming future.
The technologies & techniques involved in soil less culture can be called as
next-generation crop science because, if it is explored and evaluated properly
it will open a doorway to establish a new civilization in outer space.
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77. Way to forward…
More and more research work should be done on the subject.
Government should take more interest to encourage the producer for
investing in these types of cultivations.
Various types of funding should be made available for promoting
establishment of soilless cultivation by Government on large scale.
Educational seminars on the topic should be arranged through out the
country to educate more and more farmer so as to increase the soilless type
of cultivation.
Separate topic should be included in the curriculum of agriculture to
implement the new thinking about agriculture in young generation.
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