Hydroponic farming might be the answer to doubling farmers income amid increasing population, shrinking land and water resources. This agriculture technology is becoming popular specially in areas close to metro cities in India. Please click here to know about government subsidy on new hydroponic farming projects in India.
Hydroponic Farming
Hydroponic farming refers to growing plants in water solution rich in micro nutrients instead of soil. The plant grows in controlled internal temperature, humidity, and exposure to sunlight. Also, it involves more organic fertilizers like fish and duck manures to meet the nutritional requirements of plants. One square meter of an area requires around four liters of water daily depending on the plant sown.
Advantages
The technique allows plants to grow without soil. As a result, areas with limited lands can benefit from this. Besides, urban residents can make use of their roofs to facilitate the process for eating fertilizer free food. In addition, It makes the best use of space as plant’s roots do not spread in a large area as oxygenated water completes nutrition. Also, it works on control of temperature, humidity, light, and composition of the air, making plants resilient to weather conditions.
As a result, farmers can maximize profits. Besides, mixing nutrients in water is easy than in soil. Growers can supply nutrients according to the plant’s needs. Apart from this, the plant’s grown like this consume only 10% of the water used in the field and thus saves water. Since temperature changes are under control, the harvest cycle of plants reduces.
Challenges
This farming technique requires regular checks and full commitments. If left untreated, plants die quickly due to the unavailability of any other source of nutrition. Also, the technique requires knowledge of plants, equipment and temperature control to avoid monetary losses. Besides, this system necessitates electricity back up as the whole process depends on its availability. Also, there is a risk of spreading waterborne diseases throughout the reservoir. However, India and Israel set up a training center in India at Gharaunda, Haryana to train farmers with hydroponic and other modern farming techniques.
Scenario in India
Experts predict that the market for hydroponic projects will grow by USD 8.1 billion in 2019 to USD 16 billion by 2025. Also, they advise attending workshops before investing in these projects. The technique has set roots in India and is growing slowly. The growing trend has been discovered in Noida, Gurugram, Delhi, Haryana, UP and Chennai.
To conclude, hydroponic is need of the hour for sustainable farming practices with efficient utilization of resources to meet increasing demand.