In the 1930s, hydroponics was used by residents of Wake Island in the Pacifics, where they grew vegetables in this technique to supply for the passengers of the Pan-American Airlines, whose aircrafts used to stop over at the islands for refueling. To know more about Ayurvet and Mr. Pradip Burman visit - http://pradipburman.in

1. Hydroponics Farming Technology and
Contributions - Ayurvet Ltd.

2. The need for Hydroponics
A changing climate and thus an aggravating agrarian crisis is putting India at
grave risk.Droughts and crop failure continue to plague the agro-rich zones of
India, signaling an impending food crisis for the ever-growing Indian
population. At such a juncture, the condition of the cattle and other farm
animals is more pathetic. Pastures are drying up from the excessive heat and
degrading soil nutrition. Even dried hay is becoming a scarcity in many places,
let alone fresh, green fodder, especially during the scorching summer months.

3. The History of Hydroponics
The idea has been around for the past few centuries since English philosopher
Francis Bacon brought forth the idea of growing plants without soil in his book
Sylva Sylvarum in the year 1627. Over the centuries, the experiments on the idea
grew more popular, more scientific advances continued but it never gained the
mainstream limelight. In the 1930s, hydroponics was used by residents of Wake
Island in the Pacifics, where they grew vegetables in this technique to supply for the
passengers of the Pan-American Airlines, whose aircrafts used to stop over at the
islands for refueling. Much later, a variety of hydroponic techniques were exhibited
publicly at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Centre.

4. Effective initiatives
by Ayurvet
At such a juncture, a few regions in drought-infested Rajasthan seemed to
have found an innovative solution, which can actually be the future of
agriculture in India in the face of worsening climate and persistent water
crisis. Using the method of hydroponics, non-profit veterinary organization
Ayurvet Research Foundation is growing fresh, green, chemical-free
cattle feed in only seven days, using just two to three liters of water per
kilogram of produce, whereas traditional farming consumes 80-90 liters for
the same product.

5. Hydroponics in India– Ayurvet’s contribution
In India, hydroponics still remains an
alien concept for most, except a handful
of urban gardeners or organic farmers
who practice it in constricted urban
spaces. However, away from the
limelight Pradip burman Ayurvet
Ltd. is deploying the technique for the
last 15 years, to aid the farmers in
Rajasthan’s Bikaner, Udaipur and
Jaipur.

6. Mr. Pradip Burman - An Environment
Enthusiast
“Chemical-free fodder is key to safe milk
production. With the constraint of declining
agricultural land and water scarcity, Hydroponics
Technology is really fulfilling the need of the
hour,” says Mr. Pradip Burman, Chairman
of Ayurvet Group and a sustainability crusader
supporting the technology. As explained by Mr.
M.J Saxena, the Hydroponic innovator at
Ayurvet Ltd., the green feed can be grown within
a week in a controlled environment, from surplus
seeds of maize and sorghum.

7. Hydroponics in Commercial Cultivation
Hydroponics did not come within the ambit of commercial cultivation until
2007, when a farm in Arizona, USA started marketing hydroponically grown
organic tomatoes. Much later, Canada adopted the technique on a much
larger scale in commercial greenhouses, where cucumbers, peppers, and
tomatoes are farmed. Space research had made profuse use of hydroponics
as NASA considers it the future of farming if space travel ever becomes a
reality. In fact, they have time and again experimented with the procedure
by simulating outer space environments in their research centers.

8. How Hydroponics is saving the lives
of farm animals:
At first, the seeds are moistened abundantly and soaked in water dissolved
with biopesticides and natural growth-enhancers. In a compact space,
temperature and humidity are maintained at a constant to promote the
highest growth rates for saplings, which are grown in shelves stacked one
above the other. The requirement for a soil base is negated since the freshly
sprouted roots get entangled in a compact mesh giving solid base support
to the fast-growing saplings. The watering happens in a very interesting
manner, making use of the trickle effect, where the residual water from the
upper layer sieves down to the lower layer. The final excess water is
collected in a tank placed at the bottom which is then recycled.

9. Benefits of this system on Environment
Hydroponics system gives better and healthier,
100% organic crops for the entire year, irrespective
of seasonal climatic variations, but it also
minimizes the use as well as misuse of water, land
and other natural resources. By growing cattle feed
with hydroponics, Ayurvet experts have inferred
that it indeed offers more land for food crop or
cash crop cultivation. Moreover, the fresh, green
and chemical-free feed improve the health of the
cattle, immunizing them from diseases and
increasing milk production.

10. Usage and status of Hydroponics in
India
Lastly, the use of hydroponics since the system works more or less on its
own once the initial set up is completed providing huge savings in human
labor costs. At present, the main hurdle for mass adoption of hydroponics
simply happens to be a lack of awareness. It is high time the concerned
government authorities take note of this amazing technique and take steps
to popularise and make it available to the farming community. This would
benefit the farmers, improve animal health and address the threat of
climate change. We are truly glad to have organizations like Ayurvet Ltd.
that are introducing such technologies/systems and helping India to
achieve a better state of living on a faster growth pace.

11. Thank you