What is hydroponic farming and how do farmers benefit by adopting Hydroponic farming

What is hydroponic farming in India

Ever wondered whether you can grow plants at home in less space and without soil, but do not know how to do it. Then hydroponic farming is the solution you are looking for. So what is hydroponic farming?

The process of soil-less gardening is called hydroponic farming. Plants need nutrients, minerals, water, and sunlight to grow. Whether the nutrients come from the soil does not matter. When you mix the nutrients in the water and make the roots observe them then that is enough.

 

Benefits of hydroponic farming in India

Top 10 Benefits of the hydroponic farming are as follows

  1. Space Usage – You can grow a lot of plants in less space when compared to traditional farming. The plants need nutrients to reach the water system and bright sunlight to grow. The soil-based plants need to have a certain distance between them due to the spread of the roots in the soil, that is not the case in hydroponic farming as the nutrients and water gets delivered directly to the roots and so they need not spread further, so the space required is less.
  1. Water Conservation – The traditional soil-based plants require a lot of water as the water needs to wet the soil, some evaporates, some rolls away, and some puddles making only a certain amount of water to be observed by the plants. That is a lot of waste. The hydroponic systems use 10 times less water than the traditional methods as the water gets delivered directly to the plants. Also, the remaining water gets recycled.
  1. Usage of Chemicals – The potential of pests affecting the plants is less in hydroponic farming. So we can use fewer pesticides and herbicides. Also, the hydroponic plants are grown indoors so the pests affecting the plant are very rare.
  1. Faster Growth – The hydroponic plants grow 30% to 50% faster than the traditional methods. This is because the nutrients are in the right amount and water is delivered to the roots and also they grow in a controlled environment indoors and there is no degradation due to weather and pests.
  1. Nutrient control – As in this farming, the right amount of mix of nutrients in the water is given there is no need for fertilizers and the use of other chemicals.
  1. Grow Indoors – There is no need for large space of fields in the open area as plants grow indoors in the right climatic conditions and no pests can be grown year-round. They also grow stronger and faster in controlled temperatures and controlled environments.
  1. Healthier Plants – The plants grow healthier than in soil. Also, there are no soil-borne diseases in hydroponic farming. As the plants do not have to grow the roots in search of the nutrients and water but spend more energy on the growth of the plant.
  1. Bigger Yields – This type of farming yields more per square foot than in soil-based farming. After the initial harvest, these can be harvested again and again for many times from the same plants.
  1. No soil erosion – The soil erosion is one of the deep concern for traditional farming, that is the not the case with the hydroponic farming as there is no soil used.
  1. Weeds – In hydroponic farming there are no weeds to eat the precious nutrients of the crops. Typically weeds require the same things as normal plants to grow. As the water and the nutrients are provided directly to the roots of the plants the weeds do not grow along with your plants.

Hydroponic farming training in India

The training in hydroponic farming is important for the following reasons,

  • To avoid loss in the farming business
  • The training will help the growers to know about the plants and their physiology.
  • The pH and EC are the requirements for the right mix of nutrients for the plants to grow well.
  • The parameters of nutrients are required for the plants to grow optimally
  • The hydroponic systems are important and one needs to know how to procure them and buy them
  • For the best yields, one must know the environmental variables and other climatic conditions for the plants to grow properly.
  • The training will provide the growers with the necessary systems, packaging details, transportations, and how much to invest and how to achieve the breakeven point.

Hydroponic farming business plan – Guidelines

The following factors are necessary for planning for the hydroponic business in India.

  • Study the types of different hydroponic systems
  • Study the maximum yield for hydroponic farming for each plant.
  • Know the cost per acre for the hydroponic farm in India
  • Know the profitable hydroponic farming in India
  • Evaluate the factors affecting the hydroponic crop yield
  • Know the process for growing hydroponic crops

Hydroponic farming cost in India

Understand the cost under different setup for hydroponic farming

The cost in India for Hydroponic farming is divided into three categories such as

  1. External Housing which is polyhouse, greenhouse, glasshouse or shade net house, etc.
  1. Next is Hydroponic technologies which are the Nutrient Film Technique, Deep Water Culture, Ebb and Flow, and Dutch Buckets, etc.
  1. Then set automatic controls for the Temperature, Humidity, Irrigation, pH and EC, etc.

For an acre the hydroponic farm costs anywhere from rupees 9 Lakhs to 48 Lakhs depending upon what types and combination that you choose from the above list.