With the increase in size of population, the demand for food is expected to go up by the year 2050. Looking at this emerging demand hydroponics can be seen as a better farming method. Keeping this in mind, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) in Palampur is determined to develop small low-priced hydroponic system that is suitable for urban agriculture, said Scientist at CSIR-IHBT, Dr. Ashish Warghat.
The institute conducted a 4-day training program on hydroponic cultivation system. Dr Bhavya Bhargav, training organizer, CSIR-IHBT said, “Around 43 progressive farmers, unemployed youth & students from states like Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur & Nagaland took part in this programme. The participants were provided with technical knowhow & practical exposure of plant propagation in hydroponic system”.
Dr. Warghat, gave practical exposure for cultivation of spice, herbs & floriculture crops under hydroponics system. He told that “Although the initial investment cost for setting up hydroponics system is quite high but in the long run it provides better returns to the farmers”
CSIR-IHBT Director, Dr. Sanjay Kumar said knowledge of latest high-tech agriculture is the need of hour. It is important to empower the youth to grow high value crops of demand under controlled system. Dr Kumar added that hydroponics provides great opportunities to young farmers for startup business for the production of nutrient-rich herbs, spices & high value crops that has huge demand in the urban market.
Benefits of Hydroponics farming
Hydroponics farming is beneficial as the rural regions in the country are witnessing population shift due to animal menace & poor returns from traditional farming system. Dr Kumar said this system is ideal solution for growing plants in a limited space.
Hydroponics farming is a method of growing plants without soil by using water solvent that consists of mineral nutrient. Dr Kumar told that this system gives higher yield & economic returns as compared to traditional agricultural practices, owing to increase in harvest cycles & balanced nutrient supply. He said, “Urbanization led to high-density cities & scarcity of land. Here hydroponic system is engineered as a highly space & resource efficient form of cultivation and represent a considerable source of industrially grown produce” .
The partakers were introduced to hydroponic system & made aware of water quality, growing systems, nutrient solutions, crop protection and crop physiology.
Principal Scientist and Programme coordinator, Dr Rakesh Kumar said that hydroponic system is not affected by climate, wild animals and any other external biotic /abiotic factors. Besides these benefits hydroponic system also make less & efficient utilization of water.
Moreover, participants were also made aware of the elimination of use of artificial ripening agents, pesticides & herbicides in hydroponic system that helps in creating nutritionally superior harvest of food products. He added that “The overall hydroponics system market is estimated to grow from USD 8.1 billion in 2019 to USD 16.0 billion by the year 2025, at a CAGR of 12.1 percent”.
