**21. Nutritional quality of vegetables grown in soilless culture**

The results of most of the experiments conducted with different vegetable crops under open-field and polyhouse soilless culture indicated that the fruits of plants grown in soilless culture recorded better quality, particularly in mineral nutrient content compared to soil-grown plants [7, 33]. Most of the nutrient concentrations in zucchini fruits were found to be higher in soilless plants than in those grown in soil [7]. The fruit quality was better when tomato plants were grown on Arka Fermented Cocopeat compared to commercial cocopeat and soil.

#### *Soilless Cultivation to Secure the Vegetable Demand of Urban and Peri-Urban Population DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102695*

Calcium content in tomato fruit samples was found to vary significantly among soilless media *viz,* cocopeat, rice hull, perlite, zeolite, and mica, and no significant variation was recorded with a phosphorus content of the fruits [39, 40]. Another study conducted by Borji *et al.* [41] revealed that there was no significant variation in Ca and Mg concentrations in tomato fruits obtained from the plants grown in different substrates.

The substrate combinations, *viz*., volcanic tuff, peat + volcanic tuff (1:1), volcanic tuff + spent mushroom compost (1:1), peat + volcanic tuff + spent mushroom compost (1:1:1), and soil, were compared for fruit ascorbic acid content in tomato and found no significant difference among growing media and soil [42]. Higher total soluble solid in tomato fruit produced from the tuff or sand-growing medium in two seasons was recorded as compared to fruit growing in soil [43]. A comparison, between rockwool (R), perlites plus carbonized rice hull (PCRH), cypress bark (CB), and coconut coir (CD) was carried out in a greenhouse using a small type of tomato (*Lycopersicon esculentum* Mill. cv. T-148) in a summer experiment. The high total soluble solids content (°Brix) was represented by coconut coir (CD) treatment [44]. Most of the macro and micronutrient concentrations in cucumber fruits were found to be higher in soilless plants than in those grown in soil. The highest K, Ca, and Cu were recorded in cucumber fruits harvested from the plants grown on soil. Most of the macro and micronutrient concentrations in French bean pods were found to be higher in soilless plants than in those grown in soil. However, the highest K was recorded in the pods harvested from the plants grown on soil compared to Arka Fermented Cocopeat.
