Growing urbanisation and shortage of land and water are forcing progressive farmers and experts to adopt such techniques for meeting food requirements. One farmer in a tiny village in Una has taken the challenge and is growing crops not in soil but in nutrient rich water, reports The Indian Express.
Yussouf Khan, a postgraduate in plant pathology and mycology, is growing cucumbers, lettuce, capsicum, tomatoes, cherries and strawberries in his greenhouse farm through hydroponics, a form of precision agriculture in which crops are grown in vertical stacks of plant beds without use of soil.
“From the nutrient tank, the water solution flows down through the rows due to gravity. When it reaches a tank on the ground, it is lifted up through a pump again and is circulated over and over again. It requires 90 percent less water as compared to traditional methods of growing,” he said.
The installation carries a one-time investment but has multiple advantages. Khan no longer faces issues like weeds and soil-borne diseases. Hydroponic farming also required very less land since it is vertically farmed.
It can be constructed and operated on terraces, backyards and even indoors where crops are fed lights using LEDs.
“In the case of cucumbers, one can earn Rs 3.5 lakh per crop in a greenhouse of 1,000 square metres. A single plant yields 5 kg of the fruit and the harvesting time is reduced to only 28 or 29 days. In the Una agricultural market, I sell it for Rs 50 per kg due to its higher nutritional value and crisp quality. Plants grown through hydroponics usually have a richer flavour, which shoots up their demand and price,” he said.
Khan added that he is not growing crops commercially but mostly for demonstration purposes.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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