Abstract
Today, the orientation in horticulture world wide is geared to quality instead of quantity. Many experiments have not revealed any real differences between the product quality of vegetables grown in natural soil or hydroponically in soilless culture. However, horticultural production in many hydroponic systems is environmentally friendly, does allow the possibility of improved yields and also provides better direct inputs for quality management technologies with precise adaptations to specific conditions of the system or substrate. High yields do not automatically imply high quality, therefore a compromise between both needs to be established. The aim is to produce high quantities of valuable products that fit the expectations of producers, traders and consumers. Better quality can be obtained by direct measures, such as an increase in the concentration of the nutrient solution, or a reduction of nitrate application rates in vegetables, or via indirect measures to use threshold levels for growth factors, including macro- and micro- nutrient concentrations, or the introduction of beneficial microorganisms to improve the environment in the rhizosphere assisting plant production.
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