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Exploring the Subtle Intricacies of Soil Less Farming in India

The absence of fertile arable soil in a lot of regions of the country has lead scientists to develop farming solutions that evade the need for soil as a prerequisite for agriculture. This saw the birth of soil less agriculture which is a pioneering industry today. The ingenuity of this concept lies in the fact that there are numerous varieties of soil less farming.

While hydroponics is one where crops can be grown solely with the aid of water and nutrients; there is Coco-ponics as well. Read on to know more about these as ground-breaking solutions in farming.

What Coco-ponics entails

If you have been looking for ways to grow fruits and vegetables in the system of soil less agriculture, then hydroponics and coco-ponics are worthy alternatives for you. Coco-ponics earned its name because it tends to use coco-peat as the core for farming instead of soil. While coco-peat replaces soil as the base for your saplings, there is an unconventional drip irrigation system in place as well. Under this method, the crops are fortified with fertilizer sent via drip irrigation.

In this system, the saplings are allowed to grow in grow-bags. Some even tend to use pipes packed with coco-peat as the growing medium for their crops​ in this model.

The drawback of Coco-ponics

Farmers now use a blend of coco-peat along with Perlite. This is specifically used in the process of germination and can greatly benefit the seeds. Moreover, since coco-peat is thoroughly rinsed several times the presence of EC level is somewhat reduced. However, if you are exclusively looking for ways to produce 100% clean food then there are better alternatives such as hydroponics.

Hydroponics: The Advanced Solution

While Coco-ponics was introduced with the sole use of coco-peat, technological advances have offered inventive new applications today. It has advanced to a stage where crops are grown in water with hydroponics. A lot of experts insist on using water as a superior solution as opposed to coco-ponics. One of the key reasons is that water is completely untainted when you channel it from the RO system. The problem remains that there doesn’t exist a counterpart to RO when you attempt to use coco-peat. In the process of soil less farming it is critical that you are aware of every aspect and element that is introduced in the grow-bags.

It is the only way that you can be certain that you are consuming organic food. This ensures that hydroponics is deemed a far greater solution when it comes to soil less agriculture.

Rightly seen as the path to sustainable agriculture, Hydroponics is an avant-garde technology that has made farming with the scarcity of soil a reality!

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Seven Practical Advantages of Hydroponic Farming

Vertical Hydroponic farming is the practice of growing plants in a soilless medium or an aquatic-based environment. The technique uses mineral nutrient solution to feed the plants in water without soil.

This farming technique is fascinating to people because climate or seasons no longer limit them and it is free from pesticides. Hence, poses no danger to human health.

Since the introduction of hydroponics farming to the nation, the rate of food production has increased, making the country economically stable due to its supply. It has also enabled the country to export the surplus production to neighbouring countries.

Types Of Hydroponic Gardening

There are two types of hydroponic farming - Medium culture and Solution Culture hydroponics.

Medium culture depends on solid media such as gravel and sand for anchorage.

Solution culture does not require a supporting media or inertia media.

In these techniques, one is active whereby nutrients solution is actively delivered to the plants via a pump, and the other one is passive whereby the nutrients solution is made available by capillary action of the growing medium.

Seven Advantages of Hydroponics Farming

There are many reasons why farmers should consider this farming technology. It lacks toxins, uses less water, space, and nutritional matter. Moreover, it leads to early harvesting, eliminates soil-borne diseases and also provides steady production rates. More about these benefits below.

1.Steady Production Rates

Hydroponics farming guarantees all-year production. Farmers can choose this technology over traditional farming techniques since it provides the favourable growing conditions regardless of the weather conditions.

2.Utilises Less Water

This farming technique uses less water than traditional methods because water is reused. It results in decreasing water expenses incurred by the farmer.

3. Early Harvesting

The fast farming method translates to rapid growth of plants and consequently, early harvesting. Early harvesting means availability of farm produce to satisfy the ever-growing demand in the market. The farming area is also made available for preparation of subsequent activities.

4.Reduced Chances Of Soil-Borne Diseases

Farm produce of hydroponics is free from chemicals, it is fresh and of high quality compared to that of traditional farming. Hydroponics also minimises chances of soil-borne diseases since it does not require the use of soil.

5.High Food Yields On Small Plots

Hydroponics is a fast farming method. Farm produce takes a short period to mature and get harvested. Hence, more food can be harvested from a hydroponic farm than a standard farm. The ideal conditions of a hydroponic farm enable the production of food to take place throughout the year.

6.Use Less Nutrient Matter

Unlike traditional farms, hydroponic farms retain their material all year round. The farm matter does not spill into rivers and the oceans and therefore remain conserved. Consequently, the hydroponic farm uses less nutrient matter.

7.This Farming Technology Needs Less Space

Plant roots do not need to spread out in search of water and nutrients. This technique, therefore, requires a small space for growth of roots. It is ideal for places with confined space.

In conclusion, vertical Hydroponic farming is the best option for growing vegetables and other plants. It provides the ideal conditions to do farming at any season of the year.

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Vertical Hydroponic Farming: The Future of Farming

As the cities are growing and more people are settling in the urban areas, the paucity of farming spaces has become inevitable. To cope with this scenario, the technology has stepped ahead and developed the concept of indoor farming or hydroponic farming. This method of vertical hydroponic farming is quite different from conventional methods of growing crops. Under this method, plants or crops are grown vertically to occupy much lesser space.

The hydroponic vertical farms are the soil-less method of gardening or farming. Without using the traditional soil medium, harvesting is done in a basin of water filled with a nutrient-rich solution. In this method, the crops grow faster and better than the traditional farming. It has become a popular method of farming for many regions across the world. It adopts a sustainable approach that eliminates the requirement of harmful chemical-based fertilizers used in soil farming. Here are the factors that make hydroponics the future of farming:

No More Seasonal Crops:

The hydroponic farms have the technology that is required for growing the produce irrespective of the season. Hence, there is no concept of seasonal crops in this method. It can provide the adequate amount of nutrients and sunlight required for proper growth of any crop. Additionally, there are no threats of weeds or bugs affecting the quality and growth of your farm.

A Controlled Environment:

The crops grown under vertical hydroponic farming are literally weatherproof. Remember, untimely variation in temperatures can destroy the complete harvest. Also, there are dangers like natural calamities that can derail the farming for many years. The vertical method of growing crops does not involve such threats. It is safe because farming is done in a controlled environment where outside temperature and climatic conditions have no effect.

Lesser Wastage of Water:

Water is the most precious natural resource that is drying up rapidly. It is important to conserve the water for sustainable living. In this regard, vertical farming is a viable option. It uses much lesser water when compared to traditional farms. In fact, the usage of water is up to 70% lesser in this method of farming. Hence, it is a potent option for the regions that are already suffering from the scarcity of this resource.

Lesser Spoilage:

Since this type of farming is safe from the risks of changing weather conditions or harmful pesticides, there is lesser wastage of food. Every year, up to 30% harvests are wasted due to these factors. However, this number is reduced drastically on the vertical farms.

The vertical farming optimizes the available spaces to produce the same number of crops. One acre of space required in this method is equivalent to 4-5 acres of outdoor spaces required for soil farming. They are rightly heralded as the future of farming.