Soilless Culture

Plant production in hydroponics and soilless culture is rapidly expanding throughout the world, raising a great interest in the scientific community. For the first time in an authoritative reference book, authors cover both theoretical and practical aspects of hydroponics (growing plants without the use of soil). This reference book covers the state-of-the-art in this area, while offering a clear view of supplying plants with nutrients other than soil. Soilless Culture provides the reader with an understanding of the properties of the various soiless media and how these properties affect plant performance in relation to basic horticultural operations, such as irrigation and fertilization. This book is ideal for agronomists, horticulturalists, greenhouse and nursery managers, extension specialists, and people involved with the production of plants. * Comprehensive discussion of hydroponic systems, irrigation, and control measures allows readers to achieve optimal performance* State-of-the-art book on all theoretical aspects of hydroponics and soilless culture including a thorough description of the root system, its functions and limitation posed by restricted root volume* Critical and updated reviews of current analytical methods and how to translate their results to irrigation and fertilization practices * Definitive chapters on recycled, no-discharge systems including salinity and nutrition management and pathogen eradication * Up-to-date description of all important types of growing media

Plant production in hydroponics and soilless culture is rapidly expanding throughout the world, raising a great interest in the scientific community. This book covers both theoretical and practical aspects of hydroponics (growing plants without the use of soil), including the properties of the various soilless media and how these properties affect plant performance in relation to basic horticultural operations, such as irrigation and fertilization. The authors also discuss recycled, no-discharge systems including salinity and nutrition management and pathogen eradication.

Hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, presents a feasible alternative to conventional farming in areas which are short on water supply and limited in agricultural soil. This book will serve as an indispensable guide for students in the agriculture sciences, for agriculture instructors and soilless-culture farmers. It provides up-to-date information on optimal plant nutrition, deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients, plant growth media, optimal root environment, environmental control, carbon dioxide requirements, saline conditions and use of sewage in soilless culture. Other topics include economic aspects of hydroponics, new growth methods and an outlook for the future.

Soilless Culture - Use of Substrates for the Production of Quality Horticultural Crops provides useful information on the techniques of growing horticultural crops using either inert organic or inorganic substrates and also on use of substrates consisting locally available and inexpensive materials with adequate physical and chemical properties. The contents mainly includes influence of different substrates on horticultural crops grown under soilless culture, production of vegetables and ornamental crops in water shortage area, comparative evaluation of commercial inert substrate used for growing high value horticultural crops. In this book, interesting researches from around the world are brought together to produce a resource for teachers, researcher, and advanced students of biological science.

This collection reviews current research on optimising substrates for soilless cultivation and assesses recent advances in technologies, such as fertigation systems and process control. Case studies on a range of horticultural crops feature throughout as a means of depicting examples of practical application.

Revolutionary hydroponic/soilless advances are being achieved by efficiently improving results with the application of new concepts, methods, and equipment. The new edition of a bestseller, Hydroponics: A Practical Guide for the Soilless Grower has been revised to reflect these advances with new chapters that provide essential information on greenh

This publication capitalizes on the experience of scientists from the North Africa and Near East countries, in collaboration with experts from around the world, specialized in the different aspects of greenhouse crop production. It provides a comprehensive description and assessment of the greenhouse production practices in use in Mediterranean climate areas that have helped diversify vegetable production and increase productivity. The publication is also meant to be used as a reference and tool for trainers and growers as well as other actors in the greenhouse vegetables value chain in this region.

A comprehensive, practical text which covers a diverse range of hydroponic and protected cropping techniques, systems, greenhouse types and environments. It also details the use of indoor plant factories, vertical systems, organic hydroponics and aquaponics. Worldwide hydroponic cropping operations can vary from large, corporate producers running many hectares of greenhouse systems particularly for crops such as tomato, cucumber, capsicum and lettuce, to smaller-scale growers growing fresh produce for local markets.