Growing vegetables without soil

Compared to normal planting and care on soil, aeroponics methods yield at least twice as much; growing 2.5 times faster and saving more than 70% of irrigation water

Huynh Thuy Oanh and Hoang Hieu Phu, two students of the Department of Biology at Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences , have successfully studied the method of aeroponic cultivation.

Fix the aerial root set

Thuy Oanh said that the reason why she and Hieu Phu decided to research green vegetables by gas cultivation method because it was reported that the Spratly soldiers and people had difficulties in growing vegetables due to lack of irrigation water. The advantage is that the superiority of aeroponics technology in agriculture has been proved by many scientists around the world.

Model of growing vegetables by gas cultivation method.Photo: Dong Phuong.

In aeroponics, plants are fixed in the air and the nutrient solution is sprayed directly into the roots. Since the root system is fixed in the air, it is 'maximized', plus the spray of the nutrient solution will have a lower temperature than the environment and the body (due to evaporation effect). Therefore, trees will grow faster than other methods. Excess nutrient solution will be collected and reused, thus saving a large amount of irrigation water and nutrients.

In a windy environment such as Truong Sa, if you want to apply gas cultivation, a greenhouse is needed to limit the wind and steam loss with an investment cost of about VND 30 million for a 25 m2 greenhouse, if extended. up to 100 m2, only about 100 million VND. In favorable climates, using a shelter instead of a greenhouse will reduce costs. Urban people are easy to apply if the house has a terrace. The nutrient solution for spraying on the roots of plants contains substances similar to soil and people can easily buy at agricultural service points.

High feasibility

Through experimenting with broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach . grown in greenhouses using aeroponic methods, the team obtained results when compared to planting and taking care of normal soil on the same area, the aeroponic method gives at least twice the yield; the growth rate is also 2.5 times faster; saving more than 70% of irrigation water. Therefore, the average profit is always higher than double and not including the same time but cultivating more crops. If not grown in greenhouses, but planted under a cover, the profit is higher.

Some other results of the study were recorded because the vegetables were not in contact with the soil, so they were not attacked by pests and diseases. If planted in a greenhouse, the penetration of insects from the outside environment is minimized. Therefore, in the process of care, almost no use of chemicals, pesticides . agricultural products. Harvested vegetables meet the standards of clean vegetables. In particular, it is possible to grow off-season, but vegetables still produce high yields.

Currently, the results of this research are being carried out in the field in Truong Sa.

Prof. Dr. Vuong Thi Bach Mai, Vice Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences, said that with the obtained results, this research model is highly feasible and widely applicable. This research topic won the first prize in the S-Ideas 2009 competition, organized by HCMC University of Natural Sciences ; third prize of National University of HCMC Student Creative Idea Contest 2010.

Just a foam box, a pump, a homemade pump rig with a total cost of less than 1 million VND / m2, families can create a system of vegetable cultivation by gas cultivation.

(Prof.-Dr. Nguyen Quang Thach, Institute of Agricultural Biology, Hanoi Agricultural University)