Please find attached a brief booklet on Hydroponics which is old but good enough to serve as a first information.
Even if it was published in US if someone from our end can use our creativity to find an adaptable model which is cost effective and suitable for us it may be helpful for the farmers especially the ones own non-fertile lands. It will also be helpful for urban population who doesn’t have land or soil for cultivation to produce their daily vegetable.
The ready to use hydroponic nutrients are available in the market (through Amazon, Alibaba etc…) but expensive. If any/some of us are interested to take the responsibility of producing the nutrients locally and supply to farmers (not to be extreme rich overnight but to serve the society with a minimum reasonable margin!!!) this can be resolved.
If somebody is ambitious in experiments he may try to replace the chemical nutrients by organic nutrients like vermi compost or biogas/gobergas slurry etc… (I don’t have any idea if this will work or not and I don’t have the opportunity to experiment right now as I am currently in Nigeria working for a multinational telecom based in UAE. I’m planning to settle back in India in another one and half to two years time and actively join with you guys! Till then I have to keep my ambition active through Farmnest and other similar sites.)
I am sure that some of us must be having better knowledge on Hydroponic methods but it seems that nobody wants to share the information openly without grabbing the opportunity for a consultancy fee!! We should not forget that Indian farmers are already milked to blood and we need to feed over a billion people. Moreover, for us - Indians - agriculture is a way of life rather than a business - let’s go mediocre at least.
Cheers vylathur! This is a great introduction to basic / home Hydroponics.
I also second your sentiment that we have too many people trying to make money off each other in the name of ‘consultancy’. A lot of this information is freely available and if someone has online access to download material or reads a few books it does not make them a consultant - and charge gobs of money from cash strapped growers.
Lets hope more guidance and knowledge will be freely shared within this community without any ulterior motives…
Crucial information… tremendous book for beginners.
I am an engineer and working in Ahmadabad, Gujarat and belong to North Gujarat.
I’ve been avidly deliberated on implementation methodology and apparatus of hydroponics and its vitality for agricultural sector.
I’d communicated with some rich farmers of my village to step in hydroponics but they declined.
Apparently as farmers aren’t much familiar with this crucial technology and they seem quite suspicious as long as the initial investments are little big. However I am keen to implement a small hydroponic project by leasing some agri land for 2-3 years and I am evaluating approx. project cost and seeking some project reports for bank loan so as to establish essential evidence.
Henceforth if you’re having more interests or knowledge of hydroponics, I’ll appreciate if you convey.
Best regards
Vijay Suthar Vijay.engg2010@gmail.com
Hydroponics is a part of hydroculture and is a method of increasing vegetation using vitamin nutrient alternatives, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be produced with their origins in the vitamin nutrient solution only or in an inert method, such as such as gravel, perlite, mineral wool and expanded clay or coconut husk.
“I am sure that some of us must be having better knowledge on Hydroponic methods but it seems that nobody wants to share the information openly without grabbing the opportunity for a consultancy fee!! We should not forget that Indian farmers are already milked to blood and we need to feed over a billion people. Moreover, for us - Indians - agriculture is a way of life rather than a business - let’s go mediocre at least.”
Hi Vylathur,
Wonderful and highly valuable thoughts…Congrats!!!
Appreciate the way you have thought about the problem of Hydroponic nutrient in India, however while searching the net I came across a formula, and on a small scale it proved me fruitful, thought of sharing it with you so that every body can get the benefit. I am attaching the formula. Hydro formula.doc (62 KB)
I have about 1 acre farmland jsut outside Hyderabad [Azeeznagar] and am looking at starting something [small initially] around Hydroponic farming. Need some assistance to get me started. If someone can help me out, it will be great. Thanks – Manish
I am from Valsad. starting hydroponics on trial basis. Just with 20 tomatos and 10 brinjals. I was build-up systems with automatic nutrient feeding with timer. Making nutrients at home. All accessory purchase locally. After three month I saw plants are at flowering stage. Any body from Gujarat to share on hydroponics? I want to go for commercial growing.
