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Hydroponics in vegetable crops: A review

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 The Pharma Innovation Journal 2021; 10(6): 629-634

ISSN (E): 2277- 7695

ISSN (P): 2349-8242
NAAS Rating: 5.23 Hydroponics in vegetable crops: A review
TPI 2021; 10(6): 629-634
© 2021 TPI
www.thepharmajournal.com
Received: 12-04-2021
Aurosikha Swain, Subhrajyoti Chatterjee, M Viswanath, Anindita Roy
Accepted: 20-05-2021 and Amit Biswas
Aurosikha Swain
M.Sc. Student, Department of Abstract
Horticulture, M S Swaminathan In the present situation, India needs food security which entails that each and every people must have
School of Agriculture (MSSSOA), physical and economic access to safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs. Scarcity of usable water
Centurion University of for agriculture leads to production of lesser production of food which ultimately leads to hunger and
Technology and Management malnutrition of a large number of people in our country. So, there is an utmost need for adoption of such
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi, technology in agriculture that can contribute towards water saving and have a positive impact on food
Gajapati, Odisha, India
production and availability. ‘Hydroponics’ is one such methodology of soilless cultivation and water use
Subhrajyoti Chatterjee efficiency of this of this is much more than conventional system. Currently hydroponics cultivation is
Assistant Professor, Department of gaining popularity all over the world because of its management of resources in a very efficient way and
Horticulture, M S Swaminathan production of quality foods. Several benefits of this technique include less growing time of crops than
School of Agriculture (MSSSOA), conventional crop growing in soil, round the year production, minimum disease and pest infestation and
Centurion University of elimination of several intercultural operations like weeding, spraying, watering etc. which is labour
Technology and Management intensive.
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi,
Gajapati, Odisha, India
Keywords: Hydroponics, food security, water use efficiency, efficient resource management
M Viswanath
Assistant Professor, Department of Introduction
Horticulture, M S Swaminathan
School of Agriculture (MSSSOA),
Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants in nutrient solutions (water containing
Centurion University of fertilizers) with or without the use of an inert medium (sand, gravel, vermiculite, rock wool,
Technology and Management perlite, peat moss, coir or sawdust) to provide mechanical support (Sharma et al., 2018) [1].
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi, Maharana and Koul (2011) [2] defined hydroponics as a technique of growing plants in soil-less
Gajapati, Odisha, India
condition with their roots immersed in nutrient solution. According to Savaas (2017),
Anindita Roy hydroponics can be briefly defined as cultivation of plants without soil. So, it is clear that in
Assistant Professor, Department of hydroponics plants are grown without soil and they get nutrients from nutrient solution added
Horticulture, M S Swaminathan
to water. The earliest published work on growing terrestrial plants without soil was found in
School of Agriculture (MSSSOA),
Centurion University of the book ‘Sylva Sylvarum’ by Francis Bacon in the year 1627. The term ‘hydroponics’ is
Technology and Management derived from two Greek words i.e. “Hydro” and “Ponos” means water and labour respectively.
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi, The first modern use of hydroponics was done by W.F. Gericke from the University of
Gajapati, Odisha, India
California during the 1930’s. In India, Hydroponics was introduced in year 1946 by an English
Amit Biswas scientist, W.J. Shalto Duglas. He established a laboratory in Kalimpong area, West Bengal and
Assistant Professor, Department of had written a book on Hydroponics, named as ‘Hydroponics- The Bengal System’ (Pant et al.,
Agricultural Engineering, School of 2018) [4]. Other similar terms related to hydroponic are ‘aqua (water) culture’, ‘hydroculture’,
Agriculture and Bio-Engineering
(SOABE), Ceturion University of ‘nutriculture’, ‘soilless culture’, ‘soilless agriculture’, ‘tank farming’, or ‘chemical culture’. A
Technology and Management ‘hydroponicist’ is defined as one who practices hydroponics and ‘hydroponicum’ defined as a
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi, building or garden in which hydroponics is practiced (Jones, 2014) [5]. Most hydroponics
Gajapati, Odisha, India
systems operate automatically to control the amount of water, nutrients and photoperiod based
on the requirements of different plants. (Resh, 2013) [6]. Various commercial and special crops
can be grown using hydroponics including leafy vegetables, tomato, cucumber, pepper,
strawberry and many more. Europe is considered the biggest market for hydroponics in which
France, the Netherlands and Spain are the three top producers, followed by the United States
of America and Asia-Pacific region (Prakash et al., 2020) [7]. Due to the population explotion,
Corresponding Author: urbanization and industrialization, the cultivable land area is declining day by day. The
Subhrajyoti Chatterjee
conventional methods of crop production are also facing several challenges due to abnormal
Assistant Professor, Department of
Horticulture, M S Swaminathan climatic behaviours. So that, new and modern methods for growing sufficient food have to be
School of Agriculture (MSSSOA), evolved in order to feed the world’s growing population sustainably. Change in growing
Centurion University of medium can be an alternative approach for sustainable crop production and conservation of
Technology and Management
(CUTM), Paralakhemundi,
quick depleting land and available water resources. That’s why this ‘hydroponics’ systems is
Gajapati, Odisha, India becoming increasingly widespread over the world and according to the most recent report, it is
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expected to reach a world growth of 18.8% from 2017 to coco peat provides a buffer in high temperatures and high
2023, corresponding to a global hydroponic market USD crop load demand without compromising the air supply.
490.50 Million by 2023 (Jan et al., 2020) [8].
Rice hull
Advantages of hydroponics Rice hulls are a by-product of the rice milling industry.
 Crops can be grown where no suitable soil for crop Although these are extremely light in weight, rice hulls are
cultivation exists or where the soil is contaminated with very effective in improving drainage. The particle size and
some diseases. resistance to decomposition of rice hulls and sawdust are
 Labour for different intercultural operations like tilling, more or less similar. However N depletion is not a serious
cultivating, fumigating, watering and other practices are problem in media amended with rice hulls. Depending on the
largely eliminated. availability, rice-hulls may be used. Even though they are an
 Maximum yield can be obtained thus making the system organic plant material, they break down very slowly like coco
economically feasible in high-density and expensive land coir, making them suitable as a growing media for
areas. hydroponics. Rice hulls are referred to as either fresh, aged,
 This method can efficiently use water and nutrients. composted and parboiled or carbonized. Fresh rice hulls
Therefore, it can lead to a reduction in pollution of land should be avoided as a growing media of hydroponic system
and streams because there is minimum chance of loss of because there is high probability of presence of the
the valuable chemicals. contaminants such as rice, fungal spores, bacteria, decaying
 Soil-borne plant diseases can be eradicated very bugs and weed seeds. Parboiled rice hulls (PRH) are done by
efficiently by adopting this system. drying the rice hulls after the rice has been milled from them.
 More complete control of the environment is possible by This kills the spores of fungus, bacteria and any other
using the system (i.e. timely nutrient feeding, irrigation microorganisms and thus helps in the production of a sterile
and root environment) and different greenhouse type and clean product.
operations, the light, temperature, humidity and
composition of the air can be manipulated very easily. Inorganic growing media
 Water which is carrying high soluble salts can be used if Perlite
done with extreme care. If the soluble salt concentrations It is grey white silicate material of volcanic origin, neutral in
in the water supply are over 500 ppm, an open system of pH and expands from four to twenty times its original volume
hydroponics can be used if thorough care is given to when it is quickly heated to a temperature of approximately
frequent leaching of the growth media in order to reduce 1600-1700º F. This expansion is due to the presence of two to
the salt accumulations. six percent combined water in the crude perlite rock, which
 Hydroponically grown crops are easier to harvest than causes the perlite to pop in a manner similar to that of
conventional cultivation practices. popcorn. The surface of each particle is covered with tiny
 Hydroponically grown crops are more palatable and cavities, which provide an extremely large surface area. These
better for consumption. surfaces help in holding the moisture and nutrients and make
 Plant grown in hydroponic system can be protected from them available to plant roots. In addition, because of the
UV radiations just like they are within a protected physical shape of each particle, air passages are formed which
structure. provide optimum aeration and drainage. Because perlite is
 Plants grown through this system develop a very good sterile, it is free of diseases, seeds, and insects.
and vigorous root system and it makes the plant risk free
from contaminants and different diseases and pest attack. Sand
 Production of ‘off-season’ vegetable is possible when Sand is actually a very common growing media used in
market prices are highest. hydroponics. Sand is like rock, just smaller in size. As the
 With vertical hydroponic gardening, space management particle size is smaller and finer than regular rock so there is
can also be done. no chance of quick drainage of moisture. Sand is also
 Plants are grown locally hence carbon mileage can be commonly mixed with Vermiculite, perlite or coco coir. It
reduced. helps retaining moisture as well as helps in aerating the mix
for the roots.
Soil-less growing media used in hydroponics
The growing media which is suitable for using in hydroponics Vermiculite
system should have following characteristics- Chemically, it is hydrated magnesium aluminium silicate.
a. It must act as a source of nutrient for proper plant growth Vermiculite is a micacious mineral produced by heating to
and development. approximately 745ºC the expanded, plate-like particles, which
b. It should have a very good water holding capacity. are formed, have a very high water holding capacity and aid
c. It must supply water and gases to the plant in aeration and drainage. Vermiculite has excellent exchange
simultaneously. and buffering capacities as well as good ability to supply
d. It must provide adequate support to the plant potassium and magnesium. Though vermiculite is considered
as less durable than sand and perlite, its chemical and physical
Organic growing media properties are very desirable for container media.
Coco peat
It is byproduct of coconut husk. Coconut peat is used for Rock wool
production of a wide range of soil-less crops like tomato, Rockwool is prepared by melting mixture of basalt, limestone
eggplant, cucumber, capsicum, etc. with no harmful at a temperature of 1600 ºC. The molten mass is then spun at
environmental impact. The high water holding capacity of the a high speed into thin fibers of 0.005 mm diameter, treated

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with certain additives (a resin) to bind the fibers together and are usually placed in such type of growing medium which is
pressed into slabs of various sizes. Rockwool is also produced moderately absorbent and that’s why the nutrient solution
as a loose flock, which is used as a growing medium in pots, drips slowly. Different types of vegetable crops can be grown
in a similar way as peat, or as an additive to other media. by using this technique.
Apart from those above mentioned techniques there are some
Oasis cubes other methods which are broadly classified on the basis of
Oasis cubes are looking similar to rock wool cubes and also circulation of water. These are mentioned and described
have similar properties. But oasis cubes are more like the briefly here under.
rigid green or white floral foam which is used by forests to
hold the stems in their flower displays. Oasis cubes are open Circulating methods
cell material which means that the cells can absorb both water NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)
and air. While oasis cubes are similar to rock-wool, Oasis This method was developed in mid1960’s by English scientist
cubes do not become waterlogged as easily as rockwool Dr. Allen Cooper. Thin film of nutrient solution flows
cubes. through channels continuously bathing bare roots. At lower
end of the channels nutrient solution gets collected and flows
Hydroponics structures and their classification back to the nutrient solution tank. Spinach could be grown
The techniques which are followed in hydroponics system year round using NFT in greenhouse if proper cultivars and
include wick method, ebb and flow method, Deep water appropriate solution temperature can be choosen. (Ikeda et al.,
culture (DWC) method and drip method. 1995).

Wick method DFT (Deep flow technique)

This is simplest hydroponic system requiring no electricity, In DFT nutrient solution flows 2-3cm deep through 10 cm
pump and aerators (Shrestha and Dunn, 2013) [9]. In this diameter PVC pipes. Plastic pots contain planting materials
method, plants are placed in growing medium like coco coir, and their bottom portion touches the nutrient solution that
vermiculite, perlite with a nylon wick running from plant flows in the pipes. Potted plants are arranged in one plane or
roots into a reservoir of nutrient solution. Water is supplied to in zigzag shape.
plants through capillary action. This system is not applicable
for heavy water requiring crops. Non circulating method
Root Dipping methods
Ebb and flow method In root dipping technique plants are grown in small pots filled
This system works on the principle of flood and drain. In this with little growing medium. Lower 2-3cm of the pots
system, the nutrient solution is pumped from a reservoir into submerged in nutrient solution. Some roots are dipped in the
the growing medium, flooding it with solution for a short solution while others hanging in the air.
period and then the nutrient solution is allowed to flow out of
the rooting medium back into the reservoir. This outflow of Capillary action technique
nutrient solution from the growing medium draws air into the Nutrient solution reaches to inert medium by capillary action.
rooting bed, providing a source of O2. From the moist rooting The technique is suitable for ornamentals, flowers and indoor
medium, plants are able to obtain water and nutrient elements. plants.
Again, in such a system of nutrient solution delivery, the roots
experience a changing environment, which may not be ideal Nutrient solutions
for best plant growth and development, although plant Plants require 17 essential elements for vegetative and
performance is usually satisfactory with this hydroponic reproductive development. The first three are carbon,
technique (Jones, 2014) [5]. In this system, the problem of root hydrogen and oxygen. Other 14 are-
rot, algae and mould is very common therefore, some  Macro nutrients which include nitrogen, phosphorus,
modified system with filtration unit is required (Nielsen et al., potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur among
2006) [10]. which first three are classified as primary nutrients and
rest three are considered as secondary nutrients.
Deep water culture method  Microelements include iron, manganese, copper, zinc,
In this method, plant roots are suspended in water rich in boron, chlorine, molybdenum, nickel
nutrients and air is supplied directly to the roots by an air  In hydroponics, nutrient control is very easy
stone. A classic example of such type of method is  Nitrogen generally helps in vegetative growth of plant.
hydroponics bucket system. In this system, oxygen, nutrient  Phosphorus and potassium helps in flowering and
concentrations, salinity and pH should be monitored regularly reproductive growth of the plant.
and very carefully as there is a chance of rapid growth of
algae and moulds in the reservoir (Domingues et al., 2012) System requirements
[11]
. Vegetables like cucumber and tomato can be grown very For successful cultivation of vegetable crops hydroponically,
successfully by adopting this method. the following factors must be kept in mind.
 pH of solution should be in between 5.8-6.4 i.e. slightly
Drip method acidic to neutral.
Both home and commercial hydroponic cultivators widely use  Electrical conductivity of solution should be in the range
this method. Water or nutrient solution from the reservoir is of 1.2-3.5 Mho.
provided to individual plant roots in appropriate proportion  Temperature of the total system should not exceed 65-78o
with the help of pump (Rouphael and Colla, 2005) [12]. Plants F.

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SWOT analysis of hydroponics system in India Table 2: Vegetable production under hydroponics in India (Frezza et
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) al., 2005) [15].
analysis indicates a framework for helping the researchers or Vegetables Production (g/ sqm/ day)
planners to identify and prioritize the business goals and to Carrot 56.5
further identify the strategies of achieving them (Ommani, Cucumber 226
2011) [14]. India is having huge opportunity to adopt Garlic 57
hydroponics in a large scale in the future because India is Ginger 57
having rich diversity in climatic condition which helps the Leek 57
hydroponics cultivars to grow varieties of crops and to market Green bean 113
their product. Apart from this, low labour and input costs in Lettuce 226
India makes it an ideal destination for food outsourcing. Onion 56.5
Pea 113
Strengths Potato 56.5
 Hydroponics makes any land with water source useful for Salad greens 226
Tomato 113
vegetable production.
 High yields can be obtained from lesser spaces.
Table 3: Expences and income for producing hydroponic vegetables/
 Due to the premium quality, produce can fetch premium sq m area (UNDP, 1996) [16].
prices.
 Less number of labour is required which means it is a less Cost (US$) Celery Pepper Lettuce Cucumber Radish Tomato
costly venture. Total cost/ m2 2.31 2.87 1.67 2.12 1.82 2.84
 Integrated pest and disease management can be done in a Net Income/ m2 28.55 14.25 40.26 5.28 33.03 25.15
very effective way.
Table 4: Yield of tomato under hydroponics and field conditions
Weaknesses Parameter Hydroponics Field conditions
 Till date, there is no association/ tie up with any No. of fruits/ plant 64 38
industries regarding selling of the products or formation Yield/ plant (kg) 2.05 1.2
of any bodies among hydroponics cultivators. Yield (q/ha) 820 480
 High initial cost of investment and capital expenditure Days to fruit ripening 58 62
(capex).
Table 5: Comparison between hydroponically and conventionally
 It needs more diligence and devotion than conventional
grown lettuce (Barbosa et al., 2016) [17].
farming.
 There are no dedicated standards and laws in India till Parameter Hydroponics Conventional
date. Yield (Kg/ m.sq/ y) 41 3.9
Water use (l/ kg/ y) 20 250
Opportunities
 Branding, packaging and selling of the hydroponically Table 6: Yield comparison of some vegetables between soil and
hydroponic system (Lateef et al., 2018) [18].
grown produce can be done in a clean, healthy and
unique way. Crop Soil (avg per acre) Hydroponics (avg per acre)
 More cash crops such as gingers, saffron, turmeric etc. Lettuce 9-10 tons 300-400 tons
should be tried to grow hydroponically. Strawberries 20-25 tons 50 tons
 These crops are gaining good traction in India. Cucumber 15-20 tons 200 tons
 Hydroponically grown crops can be sold to niche/ urban Tomato 10-12 tons 180-200 tons
markets which fetches high return. Bell pepper 10-12 tons 120-140 tons
Potato 8-10 tons 60-70 tons
Cabbage 6-7 tons 10-12 tons
Threats
 There must not be any competition regarding price but on
Cost of cultivation of hydroponically grown tomato in 1
quality in between conventionally and hydroponically
acre of land (when land is owned)
grown products.
Capital costs
 There is a wrong perception among some people that
Assuming land is currently owned by the owner, the capital
hydroponics is unnatural.
costs per acre required would include-
 Certain soil grown produce are being marketed
 Cost of land Rs 0 lakhs
vigorously and may be a threat to hydroponic produce as
 Cost of Green House Rs 19 lakhs
for eg. Calyx-On tomato.
 Drip Irrigation Rs 5 Lakhs
 Inconsistent supply arrangement may also ruin the market
 Soil preparation Rs 40,000
intake.
 Mulching sheet Rs 20,000
Table 1: Vegetable crops suitable for hydroponics system
 Project consultancy Rs 6 lakhs
Grand Total (Every 5 yrs) Rs 30.5 lakhs (approx)
Leafy Lettuce, Parsley, Leafy type chinese cabbage/ Yearly cost Rs 6.1 lakhs
vegetables Pakchoi etc.
Other than Tomato, Chilli, Brinjal, Green bean, Beet, Winged Operational cost
leafy bean, Sweet pepper, Cabbage, Cauliflower, The operational costs of a hydroponic farm growing tomato
vegetables Cucumbers, Melons, Radish, Onion etc.
for 1 acre per year would include

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 Poly bags Rs 24,000 residual chemicals and that is very much harmful for our
 Coco pear Rs 1,35,000 health. Along with this, unlike the developed world, the
 Trellising thread and clips Rs 25,000 systems to track and monitor pesticide residue in food are
 Nutrients per cropping cycle Rs 1,00,000 not well developed in India. With growing health
 Organic Pesticides per cycle Rs 30,000 awareness, the consumers are looking for healthier
 Seeds Rs 1,44,000 produce and willing to pay a premium price for the same.
 Salary for 2 Employees Rs 240,000 Hydroponically grown crops can be a very potent source
 Electricity Rs 60,000 of chemical free food commodities.
Grand Total (per year) Rs 9.0 lakhs (approx)
Conclusion
So the total yearly cost involved in cultivation of 1 acre of Hydroponic culture is possibly the most intensive method of
tomato hydroponically is = (capital costs + operational costs) crop production in today’s agriculture industry mainly used in
= (9 lakhs + 6.1 lakhs) = 15.1 lakhs. developed and developing countries for food production in
limited space. It is highly productive, conserves water,
Revenues protective for environment and can be done in limited land
Assuming tomato growth for 1 year per acre assumptions and space. By providing constant and readily available
include nutrition, hydroponics allows to grow up to 50% faster than
 Number of Kgs yield per plant 5 Kg soil. It also provides higher yield than conventional method.
 Number of plants per acre of land 12,000 plants The frame of hydroponics has increased dramatically in a
 Number of yields per year 2 yields short period of time leading to an increase in experimentation
 Price per Kg sold in the market Rs 25 per kg and research in area of indoor and outdoor hydroponic
 Total calculation 5×12000×2×25 gardening.
Grand Total (per year) Rs 30 lakhs (approx)
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