Influence of Soilless Culture Substrate on Improvement of Yield and Produce Quality of Horticultural Crops

Abstract

Soilless culture is the modern cultivation system of plants that use either inert organic or inorganic substrate through nutrient solution nourishment. Possibly it is the most intensive culture system utilizing all the resources efficiently for maximizing yield of crops and the most intense form of agricultural enterprises for commercial production of greenhouse vegetables [1-3]. Several studies suggested soilless culture in the greenhouse as an alternative to tradi‐ tional field production for high-value vegetable crops [4-7]. This protected cultivation system can control the growing environment through management of weather factors, amount and composition of nutrient solution and also the growing medium. Therefore, quality of horti‐ cultural crops grown through soilless culture improves significantly compared to conventional soil culture [8,9]. This artificial growing system provides plants with mechanical support, water and mineral nutrient for higher growth and development. Over the years, hydroponics has been used sporadically throughout the world as a commercial means of growing both food and ornamental plants. Now at days, it has also been used as the standard methodology for plant biological researches in different disciplines [10]. Various modification of pure solution culture has been taken place over time throughout the world. Primarily, gravel or sand was used in soilless culture system to provide plant support and retain mineral nutrient and water. Afterward, several substrates have been evolved due to their unique properties for holding moisture, aeration, leaching or capillary action, and reuse potentiality. Soilless growing media are easier to handle and it may provide better growing environment (in terms of one or more aspects of plant growth) compared to soil culture [11,12]. Organic substrates includes sawdust, coco peat, peat moss, woodchips, fleece, marc, bark etc. whereas, inorganic substrate of natural