Agartala: In a significant development, the Department of Horticulture and soil conservation of Tripura is preparing itself to introduce soilless cultivation or hydroponics across the state.
A method of growing crops without soils is trending these days. And in this method, the crops are grown on water, rich in essential nutrients. Research says plants grown hydroponically grow faster and healthier since they are provided right nutrients directly through its roots. Hydroponic research is underway at Horticulture Research Complex Nagicherra. Soilless cultivation is a type of horticulture and also a subset of hydroculture.
States like Punjab, Haryana, considered to be rich in agriculture, have been practising hydroponic for a long time. And now Tripura is also gearing for it and two gadgets have already been installed at the Horticulture Research Centre.
A special type made of water pipes having small holes to ensure that saplings have adequate spaces between them is needed. According to officials, two tools are installed with a capacity of 20 plants and 40 plants respectively.
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Deputy Director Horticulture Research Complex, Dr Rajib Ghosh said, “This is a cutting edge technology introduced in Tripura for the first time. As the name suggests, the whole process of a plant’s development takes place in water. To make the stem erect, clay balls are used to support the plant and all kinds of nutrients necessary for the plant are delivered through water”.
According to Dr Ghosh, this new technology will help farmers battle the increasingly shrinking landholding patterns due to fast-paced urbanization.
“This is a kind of vertical cultivation. With the growing pace of urbanisation, very less landholding is left to the farmers to use for farming and at this point, vertical agriculture processes like hydroponic shall prove effective. Right now, for next few months research will be conducted in the complex and if it is found beneficial and progressive, this knowledge will be disseminated among some of the progressive farmers to start it in ground level at the first phase”, said Dr Ghosh over phone.
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