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Hydroponics: Future of Indian Farming

Article · April 2023

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 Hydroponics: Future of Indian Farming
Kalpna Thakur, Ankita Sood, Jyoti Chaudhary, Sahil Kumar and Aparajita Dwivedi

Introduction India will expected to expand at a compound annual

Global warming is becoming such a major growth rate (CAGR) of 13.53 percent between 2020
concern for the entire planet, in addition to other and 2027.
emerging climate impacts. Our present farming Hydroponic farming
industry has to tackle a massive challenge by 2050, The term hydroponics is derived from the
we will have to increase food production by Greek words ‘hudor’ for water and ‘ponos’ for
approximately 70% to fulfill the calorie consumption ‘work’. Hydroponics is a modern way to cultivate
of a worldwide population of 9.8 billion of people, plants indoors, typically farm produce, with no need
68 percent of total of whom are predicted to reside in for soil. Plants grow on the water in this method,
cities. If we continue on our current route, 593 which is rich in essential micro and macronutrients.
million hectares of land must be converted into As according to research findings, plants grown
farmland by 2050 to satisfy the anticipated caloric hydroponically grow more quickly and efficiently
intake requirements of the world's population. With than soil-grown plants since nutrients are directly
land becoming scarce and an increasing population transferred to their roots via water in the form of an
lacking housing conditions, a technique of aqueous solvent as opposed to the soil.
agriculture that enables production without the need When we recall the photosynthesis process,
for land could be immensely important. This is the we can recall the core elements of plant growth as
reasons why we need to look for alternatives to our energy, nutrients, water, and CO2. Hydroponics
current agricultural system so that we can satisfy eliminates all unneeded inputs that are crucial to our
increasing food demand. Hydroponic farming offers existing agricultural system, such as soil and
an answer to many of our world's current agricultural pesticides. Plants receive energy from LED lighting
problems. Urban farmers are increasingly turning to that is tailored specifically to the energy needs of the
hydroponics, a water-saving method of growing plants, rather than from the sun. Instead of soil, seeds
pesticide-free produce on rooftops and terraces. are planted in soil-free growth. These seedlings are
According to a research, the hydroponics market in
Kalpna Thakur, Ankita Sood and Jyoti Chaudhary
Assistant Professor, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Mandi (Dr. YSPUniversity of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan)
Sahil Kumar
Research Scholar, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, CSK HPKV, Palampur
Aparajita Dwivedi
Research Scholar, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSK HPKV, Palampur

E-ISSN: 2583-1755 Volume-2, Issue-6, April, 2023

sometimes placed in growth trays that are stacked iate solvent. It is soil-less, water-based farming,
vertically, rather than horizontally, in a vertical may even be done in a small space. As opposed
racking system. Vertical plant integration enables to utilizing soil to feed plants, crops have been
farmers to optimise the total space usage of their given nutrient-rich water; we can grow plants in
growth area, allowing them to reduce land use by up areas where land is scarce, non-existent, or
to 90-99% while increasing productivity. contaminated. NASA has identified it as the
future farming method for growing foods for
astronauts in space. NASA has been
experimenting with hydroponics for cultivating
plants on long-term space missions in recent
years. The programme is known as “Controlled
Benefits of Hydroponics Ecological Life Support System” (CELSS), and
The reasons for its widespread global it has the potential to save astronauts' lives during
adaptability are its numerous benefits. Humans are long-term space missions.
now confronted with a plethora of new demanding 2. High Yield: Hydroponics provides a higher
problems that are leading to significant changes in calorie yield per growing region. This is one of
our worldwide lifestyles: climate change, threatening the reasons for the implementation of hydroponic
infectious diseases, rapid urbanization, and natural farming in areas of food scarcity in order to grow
resource depletion. Hydroponic farming has the more crops and feed more people. Furthermore,
potential to significantly reduce the risks that these plants grown hydroponically can grow at least
problems pose to our farming sector. Hydroponic 20% faster than soil-bound counterparts. There is
farming as well minimizes greenhouse gas also the possibility of multiple crop cycles
emissions, which makes it a significant step towards occurring in the same season which also
more sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, this is a increases the yield.
boon in a country like India, where agriculture is 3. Using Less Water: Because most hydroponics
heavily reliant on the monsoon. There are numerous use recirculation techniques to minimize waste,
advantages for farmers who really can grow crops hydroponically grown plants consumes a less
out of season and provide more food and nutrition water (about 20%) than field-grown plants used
choices for consumers. in traditional cropping methods. The loss of
1. Plantation in the absence of soil: In water in traditional farming is due to the
hydroponics crops are grown without soil evaporation, inefficient irrigation, and soil
utilizing mineral nutrient solutions in an appropr- erosion, etc. Even though hydroponics is not part

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 of the natural water cycle, plants will absorb the stay in space for longer missions.
required water, while run-off water will be 6. Continuous Production: Continuous
collected and recycled back into the system. production is also possible with hydroponic
Water loss in this system will only occur through technology. Plants may be grown and harvested
evaporation and system leaks. throughout the year, increasing the supply and
4. Temperature regulation: In contrast to soil reducing the necessity of food preservation. The
growing plants, where there are numerous most significant advantages of hydroponic
influences (pH, light, air temperature, farming is the ability to grow crops indoors and
microorganisms and so on), hydroponic growing crops could be grown anywhere on the planet at
may be nearly controlled entirely. Hydroponic any time of year, regardless of the climate, soil
farmers have total control over the environment, conditions or availability of cultivable land.
which includes climate, temperature, humidity, Unlike conventional agriculture, which mainly
light, and air composition. That is, why we can relies on large outdoor farmlands, hydroponics
grow foods all year long, regardless of the growers are really not impacted by the shifting
season. Farmers can boost their profits by seasons. The method requires less labour, and the
planting crops at the appropriate time. yields are much higher because plants grow
5. Improved use of space and location: One of the much faster than in traditional methods.
primary advantages of hydroponics is that it can 7. Nutrient utilization: The farmers have complete
be used in a relatively small space. Farmers can control over the nutrients that plants require with
grow food almost anywhere in homes, this technique. Farmers can determine what the
greenhouses, or any other type of indoor space. plants require before planting, as well as the
Plant roots normally spread out in the soil in amount of nutrients required at various stages
search of food and oxygen, but in hydroponics, and the proportion at which they should be
roots are immersed in an oxygenated nutrient blended with water.
solution with vital minerals. This allows growing 8. Fewer Toxins: The traditional agriculture relies
plants closer together, which saves you a lot of heavily on herbicides and pesticides to protect
space. Even desert climates can support crops from natural threats, the sooner we can
hydroponic on a sufficient scale to meet local reduce the amount of pesticides in our food and
food requirements. Researchers are now even environment, the better off our health and the
trying to use technology on the International world will be. Hydroponic system needs little to
Space Station in a facility known as “Veggie” to none of these harmful implementations. It
grow the food for astronauts in order for them to provides a secure indoor growing environment

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 that protects plants from harmful pests and these obstacles are tackled, hydroponics guarantee a
microbial diseases which is another advantage. fruitful and secure future of the farmers in India but
Financial Challenges we still have a long road ahead to go before this
Although this technology looked promising technology is widely adopted.
and is getting popular, the preliminary expenses Conclusion
associated with starting a hydroponic farm are Hydroponics may play an important role in
significantly higher than traditional farming. feeding world, as we faces greater challenges from
Hydroponic growing can save water, but it also environmental degradation and climate change. In a
necessitates significant infrastructure because it is scenario where farmers are reliant on soil fertility in
typically done indoors. To begin a hydroponic order to produce crops all year, this same hydroponic
project, you must be a technical expert. Entering the technique provides a way to ensure all-year-round
hydroponic farming world can be expensive for crop production, resulting in increased farm
small, start-up farmers due to the costs of renting incomes. So many startups throughout India are
space, mortgage payments, renovating a building or employing this method for cultivating organic food
space to accommodate the hydroponic structures, due to the obvious scarcity of land and the high cost
initial costs for materials (such as watering and feed of purchasing a large piece of land for business. Eeki
systems, LED lights and so on), labor and electricity Foods is an IIT alumni venture that provides
to keep the farm running. nutritious and residue-free vegetables at affordable
Besides that, the energy expenses involved prices all year round. More startups are confined to
with hydroponic farming and maintaining optimal enter the hydroponics space in India as well as
growth environment for plants are really quite high. globally. Regardless of its advantages and
The combination of high-intensity LED lighting and disadvantages, hydroponic agriculture is likely to
climate monitoring and management systems leads persist and expand in the future.
to substantial electricity consumption at hydroponic
farms. Crops must be monitored continuously.
Power cuts can seriously damage hydroponic setups
done in small spaces. It is crucial that hydroponic
farms seek to supply their energy from renewable
sources such as solar panels or wind energy. Some
other critical issue is a lack of knowledge and
understanding among farmers regarding all of these
concerns and technological advancements. Once

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