Growing plants without soil

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Plant physiology suggested to man a new way of growing plants - without soil, that is, the hydroponic method. Having learned the regularities of the growth and development of plants, their need for elements of mineral nutrition and in a light mode, physiologists set themselves the task of growing plants without soil.

At first glance, this is a worthless exercise. But this is only at first glance. Indeed, in order to prepare the necessary soil for one hectare of greenhouses, it is necessary to remove the sod from two hectares of meadow, bring it in and mix it with manure. During the year, this soil needs to be shoveled two or three times and enriched with mineral fertilizers. In addition, over time, microorganisms and pests harmful to plants accumulate in such soil. Therefore, it needs to be healed either with steam or with special poisons, and after a certain time, replaced with new soil.

But it's good when there is the right soil nearby, and if the greenhouses are located in the Far North or in the sands Kara-Kumov, or in the mountains Himalayas? It is not profitable to carry the soil in space ships in order to grow plants.

Growing plants without soil Isn't it better and more profitable to grow plants without soil under these conditions? Convincing experiments have shown that even where soil is nearby, it is better to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops in nutrient solution. With this cultivation of tomatoes, it is possible to harvest 20 kg of ripe fruits from 1 square meter within two months after sowing. m, while in the field during this time only small ovaries appear. Such a high and early harvest is obtained because on artificial nutrient media, plants are more uniformly and abundantly provided with mineral elements. In addition, the composition of the nutrient solution can be prepared in exact accordance with the needs of plants, which cannot be achieved when growing plants on soil, since the amount of mineral nutrients available to plants in the soil is difficult to accurately measure.

The hydroponic method of growing vegetables, as well as green forage, finds more and more application every year. In many vegetable factories, significant quantities of vegetables are grown using this method. Many cities are switching to growing vegetables without soil.

It turned out that in this way it is possible to cultivate tomato, carrot, cucumbers and other crops not only in greenhouses, but also in the open field. Research carried out by Professor Davtyan in Armenia has convincingly shown the promise of growing vegetables on gravel outside greenhouses - it is convenient, economical and requires less labor.

Is it possible to get a high yield in an aquatic environment, without gravel? The fact is that gravel is much better than soil, but nevertheless, it must be brought in, loaded into greenhouses, washed and etched against diseases and pests. All this can be avoided if the plants are grown in aqueous nutrient solutions.

The Institute of Plant Physiology named after K. A. Timiryazev of the Academy of Sciences has developed a convenient and effective method for growing cucumbers and tomatoes in an aquatic environment. For 2.5 months from 1 sq. m of useful area when growing cucumbers in this way, 32 kg were collected. This technique has proven itself in large greenhouse farms.

For growing plants in an aquatic environment, a nutrient solution is poured into a vessel made of sheet iron, well painted from the inside with black asphalt varnish and covered with a lid made of wooden planks. In the holes of the cover with a diameter of 4 cm, using cotton wool or other suitable material, the seedlings are strengthened in such a way that at least half of the length of the root system is in the nutrient solution.While the seedlings are small, the planks can be laid close to one another, but when the seedlings grow up, boards 40 cm wide are inserted between the planks to create a normal distance between the plants.

For prolonged blowing of the nutrient solution for 6 hours a day, you can use a pump with a motor and a compressed air cylinder of the type that is installed in buses, trams and other places where compressed air is used to open doors. Such a pump automatically turns on when the pressure in the cylinder drops below normal, and turns off when the set pressure is reached. To purge the nutrient solutions, a pressure of 1.5-2 atmospheres is sufficient. To obtain small air bubbles, it is passed through a thick layer of felt.

Growing plants without soil The composition of the nutrient solution for plants at different stages of their development has been established experimentally. For example, to grow cucumbers before they bloom, 10 liters of nutrient solution is taken: ammonium nitrate (34 percent) - 1.5 g, superphosphate (20 percent) - 0.8 g, potassium chloride (50 percent) - 0, 7 g, magnesium sulfate - 0.5 g and calcium sulfate - 0.9 g; during flowering, respectively: 1.8 g, 1.5 g, 1.2 g, 0.8 g and 1.5 g; and during fruiting: 2.2 g, 1.8 g, 2.2 g, 1, 2 g and 2.5 g.

Trace elements are added per 10 liters of nutrient solution: cadium permanganate - 20 mg, boric acid - 40 mg, zinc sulfate - 2.2 mg, copper sulfate - 0.8 mg, ammonium molybdenum - 0.24 mg, iron chloride - 100 mg.

If the greenhouse has artificial lighting, then the plants can be grown throughout the year.

Growing plants without soil is a promising way. There is no doubt that in the coming years it will become the main one in the greenhouse industry. The cultivation of plants without soil will also find wide application in the cultivation of chlorella and other algae, which are a rich source of protein and sugars, and in spaceships they can be a source of oxygen and an absorber of carbon dioxide. It is possible that these algae will also be needed by astronauts who will explore new planets. In the meantime, culture on earth chlorella - good and cheap animal feed, and in some countries it is also used as a food product.

Thus, here, too, the commonwealth of plant physiology with chemistry and physics has opened up new possibilities for controlling the vital activity of plant organisms.