Farming is an age-old practice in India that depends on a number of factors like- land, irrigation, rainfall, appropriate climate, amongst others. However, in recent years, one may have come across instances where people grew crops or plants on their rooftop without soil. This is increasingly becoming a trend and also a hobby that many inculcated during the pandemic.
According to the World Economic Forum report, by 2050, the global population is expected to touch 10 million. This would increase pressure on food production as requirements would be 60 % higher than what it is today. This could also result in a shortage of arable land for farming. It is projected that 593 million hectares of land will need to be transformed into agricultural land to meet the growing food need of the global population.
Around 70 % of the world’s fresh water is utilised in agriculture, due to unsustainable irrigation practices. Moreover, agriculture is also liable for 70% of water contamination.
Experts have suggested increasing food production without expanding agricultural land as part of a sustainable way to live. This has led experts to look for alternative forms of farming, one of which is hydroponics.
Hydroponic farming – what is it?
Hydroponics, a type of horticulture that uses water instead of soil, is slowly growing as a popular choice of farming, especially at homes, and places with little space. In this type, nutrients in the form of aqueous solvent are provided to crops or plants which helps them in their growth.
Hydroponic reservoirs are mostly built of plastics but can use other materials too such as concrete, glass or metal. However, the containers should exclude light to prevent algae and fungal growth in the nutrient solution.
Is it beneficial?
Hydroponic farming does not require any soil, meaning, it can be practiced to grow plants and fresh fruits in a space-constraint place. It is also a sustainable method of farming. Moreover, the herbs or plants grown by way of hydroponic farming are rich in nutrients, act as a great immunity booster.
Due to controlled climate and absence of soil, there is no risk of attack by pests and insects, which results in higher productivity and the food grown has a longer shelf life. Also, the crops produced through hydroponics techniques are free of chemicals and pesticides.
Hydroponic based agritech-startups
Technology is an important part of hydroponic farming, which has paved the way for innovation in urban farming methods. Over the years, many agritech-startups have come up in India. Some of these are –
Kaze Living: This New Delhi-based startup partnered with hydroponic farms to directly sell greens, vegetables, berries to consumers.
Eekifoods: This agritech startup founded in 2019 developed a proprietary vegetable growing technology to produce pesticide-free Indian and other vegetables. The startup currently uses the coco-peat-based hydroponic technique for growing fruits and vegetables.
Acqua Farms: This Chennai-based startup grows over 6,000 plants in just 80 sq ft of space in a planter made up of PVC pipes. The Farm grows different plants and herbs like mint, spinach, lettuce, green leafy vegetables, and more.
Letcetra Agritech: This Goa-based hydroponic startup grows pesticide-free vegetables in 150 square meters of area.
In addition to these, there are numerous agritech- startups in the country that have been using the sustainable hydroponic method to grow plants and vegetables.
WhatsApp us