Background:
High population pressure, rising food prices, and socio-economic and environmental stresses cause a serious challenge for food, nutrition, health, and environmental security in the country. Hydroponics which is also referred to as soilless culture or nutrient solution culture technology plays an important role in producing maximum food with efficient input use and low insect pest risks and proves worthiness in those areas where conventional farming is not possible to land and water scarcity even on the rooftop and indoor in metropolitan cities. It is a method of cultivating crops by using the nutrient solution or solid matrix and nutrient solution without using soil. It changes the planting habit that the agricultural production depends on soil since ancient times, and pushes the agricultural production to a new stage of industrial production and commercial production. The core of the method is that natural soil is not used, plants are produced in a cultivation device filled with nutrient solution to grow in a solid matrix containing organic fertilizer or full of nutrient solution, and the artificially created plant root system environment not only can meet the requirements of the plants on mineral nutrition, moisture, and air conditions but also can be artificially controlled and adjusted. The nutrient solution in the soilless culture is easy to control, can be adjusted at any time, and can be carried out in places with proper illumination and temperature and no soil, such as deserts, beaches, and barren islands, as long as a certain amount of fresh water is supplied. To solve the malnutrition problem hydroponics has become an innovative technique for high and quality food production. Leafy vegetables are a good source of Fiber, minerals different vitamins (vitamins C, A, E), thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine, and folacin, minerals play a vital role in our diet and help to cope with malnutrition. Among different members leafy vegetable lettuce, celery, parsley, Pok Choi, Chinese cabbage, spinach, and coriander are the most important leafy vegetables grown widely and the most suitable crops for soilless culture. Nutrient solution formulations are the cornerstone for the success of hydroponics crop production and determining factors of crop yield and quality. All the essential elements for plant growth are supplied using different chemical combinations in a ratio of ions for plant growth is considered an important step in cultivating crops in hydroponic. When incompatible elements are mixed with concentrated and cause precipitation, and they become unavailable to the plants. Though each crop requires a specific composition of nutrients for better performance However effort has been made to species-specific nutrient solutions for leafy vegetables.:
Technology Details:
Nutrient solutions formulation is the cornerstone for the success of hydroponics crop production and determining factors of crop yield and quality. The invention provides a hydroponic nutrient solution for leafy vegetables belonging to a hydroponic culture. It comprised all essential elements including macro (N.P.K, Ca, Mg, S) and micro (Mn, Zn, Bo, Fe Mob.) for plant growth are supplied using different chemical combinations in a ratio of ions for plant growth is considered an important step in cultivating crops in hydroponic. Hence stock solutions of all nutrients are typically prepared separately and denoted as A and B solutions. They do not precipitate when diluted and can be used together without issue. As a result, elements that are compatible with, one another are combined. various chemical combinations are used to achieve similar total final compositions. Though each crop requires a specific composition of nutrients for better performance farmers face the problem of purchasing crop-specific formulations, hence effort has been made to formulate a species-specific hydroponic nutrient solution for leafy vegetables, CISH- Leafy Vegetables Hydroponic Nutrient Solution having all elements of required by plants in specific ratio Ammonical and Nitrate nitrogen are kept in the ratio of 1: 9 which makes the nutrient uptake ideal. The reactions of cautions and anions in an aqueous solution combine are clear and never precipitate hence efficiently utilized by plants. The components used in CISH- Hydroponic nutrient solution of leafy vegetable formulations are easily available in India and more economical than other nutrient sources available. The stock solution has a strength of 3x means it has 3 00-time delusion factors whereas the existing solution mostly has lx or 2x strength. Hence needs less space and transportation charges. The source of nutrient components used and their ratio of blending make the reactions of cations and anions in an aqueous solution combine clear and prevent the precipitation at higher concentrations in A and B solution hence nutrients are efficiently utilized by plants.