**1. Introduction**

Soil is usually the most available growing medium for all kinds of plants. Almost all of the vegetables we find on grocery store shelves are produced either directly

or indirectly in open field soils. In general, soil serves two basic purposes—it acts as a reservoir to retain nutrients and water, and it provides physical support for the plant through its root system [1]. A well-drained, pathogen-free field soil of uniform texture is the least-expensive medium for plant growth, but the soil does not always occur in this perfect package [2]. Existing levels of abiotic and biotic stresses in soil severely affects agricultural and horticultural production. Some soils are poorly textured or shallow and provide an unsatisfactory root environment because of limited aeration and slow drainage. Pathogenic organisms are a common problem in field soils. On the other side, the shrinking of agricultural land due to continuous urbanization and industrialization also affects the total agriculture and horticulture production [1]. Strong worldwide urbanization also puts a demand for producing vegetables in close proximity to the consumers. When adverse conditions are found in soil and reclamation is impractical, some form of an alternate method of cultivation without soil may be justified. Soilless cultivation is another way of growing agricultural and horticultural crops. The recent scientific invention proved that it is also possible to produce crop plants without soil, *i.e., soilless culture* [3–5]*.*

Presently, many countries are focusing special attention towards soilless cultivation, *i.e.,* hydroponics, aeroponics, and other substrates medium, such as cocopeat and compost [6]. Subtropical countries, such as India, aeroponics or cocopeat substratebased cultivation is ideal as water is precise input for us. Besides cocopeat, several other substrates *viz.,* sand, rockwool, vermiculite, expanded clay granules, perlite, zeolite, and pumice could be used alone or by mixing with other organic or inorganic substrates as a medium for growing crops. Among all available organic substrates, peat moss mined from the earth is the highly used growing medium in horticulture, particularly in the nursery sector. However, peat moss is a limited resource with great demand, and the extraction of peat causes negative impacts on the environment. Most of the soilless substrates have superior hydraulic and physical features than those of soil and also permit synchronized optimization of oxygen and water availabilities for plant growth. Nutrient availability to plants can be better managed in the soilless system of cultivation than in most soils. With the help of the soilless system of cultivation, it is possible to minimize or reduce the discharge of dissolved ions, pesticide residues, etc., to the freshwater bodies which in turn prevent environmental pollution. Further, the carbon and water footprint can be reduced by practicing the soilless system of cultivation in limited available land on the earth. Soilless substrate-based cultivation improves water and nutrient use efficiencies when compared to the soil which ultimately minimizes carbon and water footprint.

Soilless culture is rapidly gaining momentum and popularity and is one of the fastest-growing sectors of agriculture. There has already been a great deal of buzz throughout the scientific community for the potential to use soilless culture in future food production. Soilless culture could well dominate food production in the future. The application of these systems is likely to increase close to existing cities as well as in mega-cities worldwide in the near future. To meet the growing demand for soilless culture technology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru has standardized a simple and low-cost production technology, including nutrient formulations for open and polyhouse soilless cultivation of most commonly consumed vegetables *viz.,* tomato, chilli, cabbage, cucumber, French bean, garden peas, ridge gourd and leafy vegetables and few exotic vegetables, such as zucchini and colour cabbage using Arka Fermented Cocopeat (AFC) as substrate. Therefore, the production of vegetables under soilless culture using Arka Fermented Cocopeat and IIHR standardized nutrient solution namely Arka Sasya Poshak Ras may be practiced for meeting the demand of the urban population. Using this technology, urban and peri-urban people can grow

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

their choice of vegetables to meet their daily vegetable requirements [7]. This chapter provides the reader with an understanding of the availability of various soilless media, specifications of the ideal substrate, suitable vegetable crops for soilless culture, how to grow vegetables under soilless culture, and nutrient and water management. This chapter is ideal for agronomists, horticulturalists, greenhouse and nursery managers, extension specialists, and people involved with the production of plants particularly vegetable crops under soilless culture.

### **2. Soilless culture**

Soilless culture is a method of growing plants without soil. In this method of cultivation, plants are grown by providing nutrients, water, and physical support in a container. Soilless culture is normally called water or solution culture, the technique was firstly termed by W.F. Gericke as hydroponics (water working) in the 1930s [8]. Several workers use the term hydroponics to mention the systems that include some kind of organic or inorganic substrates to support the plant physically and to hold water in its inert matrix. The hydroponics method of cultivation has been used every now and then in the world as a profitable business of growing vegetable, flower, ornamental and medicinal plants. Because of the availability of various types of substrates along with scientific advancements, soilless culture has entered into the viable commercial stage. It supplies fresh vegetables in countries with limited arable land as well as in small countries with dense populations. Plants grown in hydroponics or soilless culture had consistently superior quality, high yield, rapid harvest, and high nutrient content.
