Now, grow veggies, fruits, spices without soil, courtesy IIHR-Oz varsity

Even the nutrients can be used without wasting them.
Common sage grown inside a poly house | Safeena/IIHR
Common sage grown inside a poly house | Safeena/IIHR

BENGALURU: If all goes as per plan, you can soon grow vegetables, certain fruits, spices and even flowers without soil inside a poly house. The seedlings and plants can be made to hang in the air and required nutrients can be supplied using mist spraying technology.

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, and the Indian Institute for Spices Research (IISR), Calicut, have decided to come together and promote indoor aeroponics for high-valuea crops under different lighting and nutrient conditions. Aeroponics is a technology used for growing horticulture crops using air and no soil.

ICAR and IIHR will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Western Sydney University, Australia in this regard on Friday.

According to Nandeesha P, a scientist from IIHR, certain fruits, vegetables (which are smaller in size), flowers and even spices can be grown with the help of aeroponics technology. Under this method, he plants are left in a hanging state and the roots of these plants are visible. “We can grow these in a protected area, which is called a poly house, he said. Explaining it further, he said the sensor-based mist spraying mechanism is used to spray required nutrients. He also said that this system will be useful for farmers in the coming days.

According to scientists who are working in the field of aeroponics, this technology offers many advantages. It requires less water and hence prevents wastage. Even the nutrients can be used without wasting them. Another big advantage is that plants grow faster and better when compared to normal growing period of plants.

Some of the popular plants that can be grown using aeroponics include strawberries, tomatoes, mint and basil. Since required nutrients can be controlled and fed to the roots, growth becomes faster and better.
Earlier, IIHR had developed soil-less cultivation mechanism where nutrients like phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen, which are essential for plant growth, are added to coco-peat. This can be used across a range of fields from terrace gardening to a few acres of farmland. The mechanism is also used where plants are cultivated in water and without soil. Required nutrients are supplied through water.

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