By Vignesh V. J
Among technologies that can potentially influence the future of agriculture and seed industry, hydroponics is one of the most exciting. The fact that hydroponics is prominently featuring in recent seed conferences in Netherlands is an indication of the potential and importance of the technology.
Introduction to Hydroponics
Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil (soilless growth of plants and without conventional soil). It uses artificial means to support and nutrient solutions to provide the required nutrition to plants. Based on the way the solution is delivered, there are a number of sub-types within the broad term of hydroponics.
Importance of Hydroponics in Addressing Food Security
This technology becomes increasingly relevant given the food security issues raised by the FAO. FAO estimates a 60% increase in food production by 2050 compared to 2005. The three major resources for agriculture – land, water, and labor – are under increasing pressure from the growing population and climate change. Only 5% of existing land can be expanded, mainly in Africa and Latin America. While 2 liters of water are often sufficient for daily drinking purposes, it takes about 3,000 liters to produce the daily food needs of a person. Urban population has already overtaken rural population and is expected to be twice that of rural population by 2050. The growth in cereal crop yields is slowing. There are other problems and uncertainties like climate change, natural disasters, biofuel, and post-harvest losses.
Challenges and Adoption of Hydroponics
While the hydroponics technology has been in existence for more than 50 years, adoption and acceptance have been very low till date, probably due to the high capital investment required, running costs, and expertise needed. It forms a minuscule percentage (<0.1%) of overall global cultivation. There is mixed opinion on the question of hydroponics vs. conventionally grown food among farmers and chefs in terms of taste and consumer acceptance. With forthcoming nutritional research, this aspect is only going to get better.
Advantages of Hydroponics
Hydroponics is poised to become increasingly relevant due to its inherent advantages to combat land, water, and labor shortages while being environment and technology-friendly. The future of this technology can be assessed by benefits accruing to the early adopters. For example, Tokyo is growing hydroponic rice in a controlled environment, achieving four crop cycles instead of one; Organitech, a company in Israel, has overcome dry and arid climates and is growing crops like bananas, berries, and citrus fruits, achieving yield many times more than conventional cultivation.
Success of Aeroponics for Seed Potato Production
Aeroponics for seed potato production has been found to be very advantageous. It is known to produce higher potato yields (up to 10 times higher), in shorter duration and at lesser cost than conventional growing methods. It is already successfully used in many parts of the world – e.g., Korea, China, and Central Andean regions – for more than 10 years. The performance of seed produced through aeroponics is the same as conventional seeds.
Potential Future Developments in Hydroponics
Based on the success of the technology in commercial production of many crops and seed production of potatoes, academia and the seed industry may further explore the potential of this technology in seed production of other crops. Going forward, many technologies such as LED lighting (with the ability to offer tailored spectrums to influence plant growth) and solar-powered pumps will be integrated into hydroponics, making it more accessible to industry and farmers.
Government Support for Hydroponics in India
In India, the central and state governments have subsidized the capital costs for farmers willing to invest in hydroponics. The exact subsidy applicable is different for each state. Recently, the Maharashtra government provided a 50% subsidy to farmers to adopt hydroponics for growing animal fodder.
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