**23. Net profit from soilless vegetable cultivation**

The results of most of the experiments conducted at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru with different vegetable crops in grow bags under open-field and polyhouse soilless culture indicated that the plants grown in soilless culture recorded higher yield and better quality, particularly in mineral nutrient content compared to soil-grown plants. The yield of different vegetables grown under soilless culture in an area of 100 m2 is as follows; 1260 kg for tomato, 803.6 kg for zucchini, 204 kg for colour cabbage, 300 kg for chilli, 441 kg for cucumber 280 kg for French bean, and 81.9 kg for garden peas. Net profit from the vegetables grown in an area of 100 m2 varied from Rs 7140 for cucumber to Rs 35,960 for zucchini and the net profits of the rest of the crops found to fit in between. This technology would be highly suited for urban and peri-urban vegetable cultivation for meeting the food security in cities. The production technology developed at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research for soilless cultivation of most commonly consumed vegetables in India has generated a lot of interest

among the soilless growers for the cultivation of vegetables on AFC. This particular technology is being popularized through various training programmes, exhibitions, magazines, and media. Many growers have already started adopting this particular technology in the cultivation of vegetables using AFC as a substrate.

#### **24. Advantages and constraints of soilless cultivation**

A substantial quantum of research work carried out in recent past stating the advantages and disadvantages of soilless cultivation of vegetables.

#### **24.1 Advantages**

Compared to a conventional soil-based cultivation system, soilless cultivation provides several advantages than disadvantages. Soilless cultivation provides ideal conditions for the growth of plants which in turn helps in getting a higher yield. With little effort, time and cost, it is possible to do very relaxed and clean vegetable cultivation under soilless culture. The majority of soil-born pests and diseases can be controlled just by shifting over to soilless cultivation from the traditional way of farming. Degraded and poor fertile soils can be easily brought into soilless cultivation. It affords an unsoiled working environment and thus labour engagement is easy. List of other advantages of soilless culture is control of plant nutrition, ability to control pH and EC, water economy and control, reduction of labour requirement, sterilization practices, control of root environment, multiple crops per year and unsuitable soil can be used, etc.

#### **24.2 Limitations**

In spite of several merits offered by soilless culture, it has few demerits as well. Technical know-how and high initial cost are the two important things required for scaling up of soilless culture at the commercial level. The requirement of investment and technical knowledge will go up further when combining soilless culture with protected cultivation. Experts with precision management skills are needed for nutrient solution preparation, pH and EC maintenance, identification and correction of mineral nutrient deficiency, aeration; upkeeping all the weather parameters in support of ideal plant growth in protected structures, etc. Above all, much attention is important for plant health management. The requirement of energy inputs is very high to run the soilless culture system, particularly in hydroponics. Because of higher initial cost, technical knowledge on crop agronomy and physiology limits the soilless culture to high-value crops cultivation. Growing low-value crops in hydroponics may not be so economical.

#### **25. Conclusion**

In urban and peri-urban agriculture, no doubt that the soilless culture is rapidly gaining impetus and acceptance among growers. In advanced countries, the system of soilless cultivation is so popular and well-received mainly for commercial cultivation of high-value vegetable crops, medicinal and ornamental crops but now it is spreading very rapidly in rest of the world. With this speed, the soilless culture is certainly going to dominate in future food production. Growers are presently turning towards
