SOILLESS AGRICULTURE

(Hydroponics culture/water
culture/nutrient culture)

Video
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 Contents
• Introduction
• Reasons to hydroponics
• Type of soilless culture
• Advantages of soilless culture
• Disadvantages of Soilless culture

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 Introduction
• Technology of growing crop in a complete
nutrient solution with or without a solid
phase.

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 Reasons to hydroponics
• Overcome poor soil conditions
-salinity
-Rocky,Sandy,gravelly soils
-Pathogens
• Shrinking of arable land

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 Reasons to hydroponics
• To get high yield and quality .
• Readily available nutrients(energy saving)
• Provide optimum resources for the growing
plant.

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Type of soilless culture
1.Solution Culture

2.Aeroponics

3.Solid media culture

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 01.Solution culture
Nutrient Film
Technique(NFT)
Circulating
methods
Deep Flow
Solution Technique(DFT)
culture
Root Dipping
Technique
Non circulating
methods
Floating
Technique
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 Circulating methods
Nutrient film Deep flow
techniques technique

Plant root are directly Use 2-3cm deep

exposed to nutrient nutrient solution
solution 9
 Non circulating methods
Root dipping Floating
technique technique

Plant grow in small Similar to root dipping

contains filled with technique
Solution is aerated
growing media
artificially
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 02.Aeroponics
• Plant root hang in the air are misted with the
nutrient solution
• Misting is done for avoid rapid drying

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 02.Aeroponics
• Root absorbed the nutrient from the nutrient
film adhere to the roots

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 03.Solid Media Culture
• Plant roots are developed in a growing
medium
• The substrate irrigated with a Complete
nutrient solution

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 Grow bag culture

Solid media Hanging bag culture

culture
Trough culture

Pot culture
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 Hanging bag
Grow bag
technique
technique

Poly bags are arranged in Light weight media

rows used to grow crops
Filled with growing media
(coir dust,peat,vermiculite)
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 Trough culture Pot culture

Plant grown in narrow trenches

in the ground and above ground Plants are established
troughs
in plastic
pot/polythene bags
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 Advantages of Soilless
agriculture
• Maintenance of clean products
• Year-round production
• Low soil and water born disease

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Disadvantages of soilless culture
• Higher initial cost
• High operational cost
• Requirement of technical know how

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Disadvantages of soilless culture
• Needs thorough knowledge on the agronomy
and crop physiology
• Requirement of quality water

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*HYDROPONICS IN ACH*

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References:

• Hi-Tech Horticulture by S. Prasad , Dharm

Singh & R. L. Bhardwaj.( pg.no- 567-585)
• Protected Cultivation by Adikant Pradhan
(pg.no143-165).
• Internet: www.researchgate.net

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 •Vegetables cultivation in hydroponics

Suitable crops: Exotic vegetables having high selling

price.
Ex. Lettuce , Cherry Tomatoes , Bell pepper

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 •LETTUCE CULTIVATION.....

•Initial cost of establishment in polyhouse : Rs 580/m2

•If done in indoor : Rs 3500/m2( AC , LED light...)

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 Water use efficiency

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•Standard concentration of nutrients in nutrient
solution for lettuce cultivation.
NUTRIENTS me/litre MICRONUTRI ppm
ENTS
NO3-N 6.0 Fe-EDTA 2.5
NH4-N 0.5 B 0.2
PO4-P 3.0 Mn 0.2
SO4-S 1.5 Zn 0.01
K 4.0 Cu 0.01
Mg 2.0 Mo 0.01
Ca 4.0

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 •Quality factors of water used for
hydroponics
pH of irrigation water : Normal range 6.5-8.4 .
 EC : 1.5-2.5 dsm-1
QUALITY FACTORS me/litre
Sodium <3.0

Chlorine <3.0

Boron <0.7

Bicarbonates <1.5

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• Yield of lettuce

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•Yield of lettuce...

In conventional system: 3.9-4 kg/m2/yr.

In hydroponic system : 41-46 kg/m2/yr

Cost of lettuce : Rs 200/kg

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