Hydroponics

Plant Nutrients

“Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solutions (water and fertilizers) with or without
the use of artificial medium (e.g., sand, gravel, vermiculite, rockwool, peat, coir, sawdust) to provide
mechanical support. Liquid hydroponic systems have no other supporting medium for the plant roots:
aggregate systems have a solid medium of support. The inert growing medium does not contain any
nutrients.

Hydroponic systems are further categorized as open, where, after the nutrient solution has been delivered to
the plant roots, it is not reused or closed where surplus solution is recovered, replenished, and recycled. In
hydroponics, plants roots will only take up as much nutrition as they require. However, mixing a solution too
high in nutrient levels will result in root dehydration. All plants require a balance of nitrogen, phosphorous
and potassium (N-P-K) and trace elements to grow properly. The growth influencing factors determine a
plants’ ability of utilize these nutrients adequately. Small amounts of these nutrients can be assimilated
through healthy soil; however, they are quickly depleted rendering the soil void of all life sustaining
properties.”

Hydroponic formulations are structured for the different stages of growth. In hydroponic cultivation,
essential nutrients are provided in ideal proportions. A plant’s nutritional requirements shift from their
vegetative stage to their flowering stage. Natural enzymes, vitamins and some rare trace elements will
stimulate normal biological functions in plants. There are other nutrients designed to help facilitate faster
nutrient uptake and accelerate stem and leaf growth. Dr. Sahgal suggests reading of the book Soilless
Culture-Theory & Practice by Michael Raviv & J,Heinrich Lieth for more technical information on
hydroponics.

Water Intake
Shweta asks Dr. Sahgal, “You mentioned water and electricity are two prerequisites of using hydroponics for
cultivating fresh fruits and vegetable. On the contrary we learnt that hydroponics uses only 10% of water
needed to that of used in soil cultivation. Please explain the difference in the statements.”

Dr. Sahgal replies, “Sometimes because of intentional or unintentional reasons, the entire water system gets
contaminated and needs to be changed. In this regard and instance, there must be adequate back up water
supply. Round the clock electricity supply is required to keep temperature, humidity, water circulation and
lighting under control. But these systems do not use much electricity and now the water is kept circulating in
the system after due filtration and water treatment.”

Priyadarshini further explains, “Hydroponics uses substantially less water as compared to the soil farming. It
is actually drastically less. It is a proven fact. However, this is also true that electricity and water are
mandatory requisites for cultivating crops using hydroponics.

In soil farming, most of the water that we supply to the plants gets leached deep into the soil and is
unavailable to the plants roots, whereas in hydroponics, plant roots are either submerged in water or a film of
nutrients mixed in water is constantly encompassing the root zone, keeping it hydrated and nourished. Water
is not wasted in this process, as it gets recovered, filtered, replenished and recycled. In such processes, like
ebb and flow, nutrient film technique, uninterrupted pumping of the nutrient solution is required for
which electricity is necessary. Electricity is also required for operating other environmental controlling units
like sensors, cooling systems, and fertigation units.”

Training
To switch over to hydroponic farming, farmers need to undergo basic training about hydroponic farming like
irrigation and fertigation, keeping a check on greenhouse environment and growing conditions, and
maintaining pH and EC, besides other factors. Every Indian state has its own government-run horticulture
boards (NHB & NHM) that conduct introductory training for progressive farmers.

“At Plant Genome Sciences, we give on-field training to the farmers, who are going for hydroponic
greenhouse cultivation, because we believe that this is the best way to learn, discovering the practical
growing challenges and solving them.

Learning by doing is the best way of training,” maintains Priyadarshini. Dr. Sahgal says, “Training is
required but not much. I was surprised to meet an MBA student from Pune, taking training at a lettuce
hydroponic farm that I visited in Israel. Meeting her, I felt I was on the right track. Initially for the first few
times one needs to undergo training in Israel, but thereafter it could be at a hydroponic farm location in India
itself.

M/s Growponics, Israel,the company that I represent in India, can provide A to Z turnkey concept to
commissioning services for hydroponic solutions.”

Investment Required
Mr. Gaurav Garg of Saanvi Organics says, “Hydroponics can be done in 3 ways – 1. Progressive farmers can adopt it in
commercial farming, 2. People can adopt it as hobby, and 3. Can be most beneficial for urban farming in metros.”
He maintains that for a viable commercial unit you need 1000 sq. feet and investment of around Rs. 3 lac. Earning
expected is around 1 lac per year.

Crops that can be grown using hydroponics

Dr. Sahgal says, “ Theoretically any fruit and vegetable can be grown using hydroponics. But most successes in
hydroponics have been with lettuce and strawberries.” Priyadarshini disagrees and says, “It is completely wrong
notion that only exotic vegetables can be grown in hydroponics. Farmers can grow any crop from tomatoes, zucchini,
broccoli, lettuce, iceberg, cucumbers, egg plants, bell peppers, okra, flowers like gerbera, lilium, and anthurirum, to
herbs. Nearly any vegetable can be grown using hydroponics, if we choose the right technique of hydroponics.
Tomatoes come really well in hydroponic farming, whether you grow them in trough/grow bag cultivation, NFT or
aeroponics. In hydroponic cultivation, farmers are getting higher yield of tomatoes. In the controlled environment,
the plants’ exact requirements can be met with temperature and humidity control, supplemental nutrition and
safeguarding it from weather fluctuations and pest attack. This enables the farmer to harvest yield all year long
without sacrificing taste and goodness. In soil, most of the fertilizers leach deep into the soil and therefore, plants are
unable to absorb them, thereby, unable to grow up to their full genetic potential. She adds, “Because hydroponic
plants get direct and complete nutrition delivered to their roots at the right phase, hydroponic tomatoes are not only
very good in quality, but also comparatively bigger, tastier and more nutritious as compared to their soil-grown
counterparts.”
She further says, “The most important factor to consider here is the market for selling the produce. Marketing of the
produce is something that farmers need to think before venturing into hydroponic farming. If they find a potential
market nearby, well and good; if it is far, then supply chain has to be taken care of. It is always advisable to do a good
research on the cost economics, feasibility of the hydroponic project for the given area before entering this field.”

Income and Capital return under Greenhouse Cultivation ?

The yield under poly house cultivation can be achieved to the level of 5-8 times as compared to the open crop
cultivation. Various trials conducted at agro research centers in northern india indicates that capsicum (
planted in mid September), cucumber (planting –mid October) and tomato (November planting) under poly
house produced 1060kg, 1460 kg and 1530 kg per 100 square meter. The duration of these crops were 4- 9
months and more than 90% of total yield were obtained during off-season (during winter before the start of
summer) which fetches significantly higher market price (2-4 times than normal season). Further, the crop
duration can be extended up to the July –August with the application of micro irrigation and fertigation and
yield can be achieved to the level of 20-25 kg/m2. Therefore, it is possible to harvest a single crop round year
with minimum additional inputs and higher income can be generated. Further Cut Flowers like Carnations,
Gerbera, Lilly, Rose, orchids, antherium etc.can be grown under polyhouses/ net houses giving high returns
and top quality produce. The potential of flouriculture under protected cultivation is huge for indian and
global markets.

The cost of construction of poly house depends on location of site, size and shape of poly house, poly house
structure (wooden or GI/ Steel) and types of poly house (naturally ventilated or environmental controlled).
The cost of bigger naturally ventilated poly house (1000 m2) ranges from Rs.800 to 900 per square meter
whereas the environmental controlled poly houses require 2 to 3 times investments over previous one
depending on the automation gadgets installed. The per unit area construction cost of smaller size poly
houses are more as compared to larger poly house. Similarly the cost of cultivation in larger poly house is
significantly lower than smaller poly house.

It is possible to get back the investment on poly house within a period of 3 to 5 years period. If a
entrepreneurs /cultivator go for poly house for nursery production of high yielding vegetable plants in an
area where large scale vegetable cultivation is done, in such condition he can get back his investment
within 2-3 years by providing quality planting materials to vegetable or flower growers.

The success of the Polyhouse / nethouse Project depends upon the scale of project.

Minimum recommended project with right economic viability and longterm sustainability is around 1 -2
acres.

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