Hydroponics: The Best Sustainable Agricultural Practice

by Suresh Kumar Business Analyst

Sustainable agricultural practices have been in vogue from ancient times. These practices have been followed to prevent the degradation of soil. Most of these practices restore the fertility of the soil after a crop has been reaped. However, the relevance of sustainable agricultural practices is growing because one has to ensure better productivity. To ensure efficient use of resources, newer agricultural techniques are being developed. 

Traditional sustainable agricultural practices in India

Diversifying the crops is traditionally recommended because monoculture or farming a single crop can cause depletion of nutrients resulting in soil degradation. Rotational cropping ensures that another crop replenishes the nutrients depleted by a crop. In mixed farming, different crops are grown together along with livestock. Agro-forestry involves the growing of trees and shrubs along with crops.  

A need for a sustainable agriculture practice that will be good for ecology

While all the agricultural practices are suitable for soil fertility, they may not be perfect for the environment and also for productivity. Most of the old agricultural practices consumed a lot of water for irrigation. Due to urbanization, excessive dependence on the land, a scarce resource today, makes these sustainable agricultural practices infeasible today.

Modern agricultural practices like hydroponics can resolve the issues that traditional sustainable agricultural practices pose. Pressure on precious resources like land and water gets eased in hydroponic farming. A sustainable food system using this can be created even without soil and water.

A sustainable agricultural practice that will ensure food security

In hydroponic farming, plants grow faster and therefore crops can mature quickly. A sustainable food system can be created using this. This can solve the problem of food shortage. Crops that are not specific to a region can be grown using greenhouses. Any crop can be grown in hydroponic greenhouses as they mimic the climate of any region by controlling the temperature and humidity.

The main benefit of hydroponic farming is that it reduces the dependence on the land. Cultivation can be done virtually anywhere and vertically in stacks also. Hydro-culture is ideal for growing a variety of vegetables. A large root system is not required for plants in hydro-culture as nutrients are directly fed through the water.     

Owing to less dependence on artificial inputs like pesticides and fertilizers, this technique has got wide approval from environmentalists also. The product can be more nutritious and add to the well-being of the consumers. Being in high demand, these crops can find an easy market in India as well as abroad.

Because of its viability, conglomerates are also making investments in hydroponic farming. As part of its ventures in agri-business, DS Group has set up state-of-art greenhouses that provide the ideal environment for exotic crops, vegetables, and flowers. As a result of the lesser use of fertilizers and pesticides, nutrient-rich crops are suitable for consumption.

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Created on Jan 31st 2022 01:47. Viewed 165 times.

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