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Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 3
Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 4
CONTENTS
SL
TITLE PAGE NO
NO.
CHAPTER - 1
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 HISTORY OF HYDROPONICS
1.1.2 ISSUES FACED BY FARMERS NOWADAYS
1.1.3 NEEDFOR SOLUTION
1.2 HYDROPONIC SYSTEM
1.3 TYPES OF HYDROPIC SYSTEM
1.4 MATERILAS USED IN HYDROPONIC
SYSTEM
1.5 NUTRIENT SOLUTION
1.6 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1.7 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
1.8 LIST OF PLANTS THAT CAN BE GROWN
HYDROPONICALLY
CHAPTER - 2
2.1 COMPARISION
2.2 WORLD HYDROPONICS STATUS
CHAPTER - 3
3.1 IMPLIMENTATION PROCESS
3.2 COST ESTIMATION
3.3.1 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS OWNED)
3.3.2 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS
BOUGHT)
3.3.3 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS LEASED)
3.3 FUTURE SCOPE
3.4 SUCCESS STORIES IN INDIA
CHAPTER - 4
4.1 LITERATURE REVIEW
4.2 REFERENCES

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LIST OF TABLES
SL TITLE PAGE NO
NO
1.1 INORGANIC HYDROPONIC SYSTEM
1.2 ORGANIC HYDROPONIC SYSTEM
2.1 PLANTS GROWN UNDER HYDROPONICS
COMPARISON PF HYDROPONIC AND SOIL
2.2 GROWN PLANTS
3.1 IMPLIMENTATION PROCESS
3.2 COST ESTIMATION ELEMENTS

LIST OF FIGURES
SL TITLE PAGE NO
NO.
1.1 DEEP WATER CULTURE SYSTEM
1.2 NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
1.3 AEROPONICS SYSTEM
1.4 WICKING SYSTEM
1.5 EBB AND FLOW SYSTEM
1.6 DRIP SYSTEM
1.7 MATERIALS USED IN HYDROPONICS
2.1 HYDROPONIC PLANT GROWTH
3.1 WORLD HYDROPONICS
3.2 FUTURE FARMS, CHENNAI
METRO PILLARS VERTICAL GARDENING,
3.3,3.4 BENGALURU

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 CHAPTER-1
1.1 INTRODUCTION
With the advent of civilization, open field/soil based agriculture is facing some
major challenges; most importantly decrease in per capita land availability. In 1960
with 3 billion population over the World, per capita land was 0.5ha but presently,
with 6 billion people it is only 0.25ha and by 2050, it will reach at 0.16ha. Due to rapid
urbanization and industrialization as well as melting of icebergs (as an obvious impact
of global warming), arable land under cultivation is further going to decrease.
Again, soil fertility status has attained a saturation level, and productivity is not
increasing further with increased level of fertilizer application. Besides, poor soil
fertility in some of the cultivable areas, less chance of natural soil fertility build-
up by microbes due to continuous cultivation, frequent drought conditions and
unpredictability of climate and weather patterns, rise in temperature, river
pollution, poor water management and wastage of huge amount of water, decline in
ground water level, etc. are threatening food production under conventional soil-
based agriculture.

1.1.2 Issues faced by farmer nowadays are as follows:

• Draught conditions

• Unpredictable weather

• Rising temperature

• Polluted water systems

• Lack of irrigation

• Poor water management

• Under-nourished or over-nourished crops

• Urbanization

• Small and fragmented land-holdings

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 • Increased consumption of manures and fertilizers

• Lack of mechanization

1.1.3 Need for a solution:

• India today needs food security which entails that all people at all times have
physical and economical access to safe and nutritious food to meet dietary
needs.

• Lack of water for agriculture leads to production of lesser food, which means
more hunger and malnutrition.

• Study says that 150.8 million children under the age of 5 years are
malnutritioned.

• Need for technology in agriculture that can contribute towards water savings
and have a positive impact on food production and availability.

Under such circumstances, in near future it will become impossible to feed the
entire population using open field system of agricultural production only.

Naturally, soil-less culture or hydroponics is becoming more relevant in the present

scenario, to cope-up with these challenges. In soil-less culture, plants are raised
without soil. Improved space and water conserving methods of food production under
hydroponics culture have shown some promising results all over the World.

1.2 HISTORY OF HYDROPONICS

The word hydroponics comes from the roots “hydro” meaning water and “ponos”
meaning labor, this method of gardening does not use soil.

The earliest examples of hydroponics date back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and
the Floating Gardens of China. Humans used these techniques thousands of years ago.
Although the general theory behind hydroponics remains the same, modern technology
has enabled us to grow plants faster, stronger, and healthier.

In modern hydroponics, the earliest modern reference to hydroponics (last 100 years) was
by a man named William Frederick Gericke. While working at the University of
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California, Berkeley, he began to popularize the idea that plants could be grown in a
solution of nutrients and water instead of soil. Naturally, the general public, as well as
William’s colleagues, doubted this claim. He quickly proved them wrong by growing 25
foot high tomato vines using only water and nutrients. He decided to call this growing
method hydroponics. The shocking results of Gericke’s experiment with tomatoes
prompted further research into the field. More research was performed by University of
California scientists, who uncovered a great deal of benefits related to soilless plant
cultivation.

1.3 HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis, in which they use sunlight and a
chemical inside their leaves called chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide (a gas in the air)
and water into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen. Write that out chemically and you
get this equation:

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

There's no mention of "soil" anywhere in there and that's all the proof that plants can
grow without it. What they do need is water and nutrients, both easily obtained from soil.
But if they can get these things somewhere else like by standing with their roots in a
nutrient-rich solution then they can do without soil altogether. That's the basic principle
behind hydroponics. In theory, the word "hydroponics" means growing plants in water
(from two Greek words meaning "water" and "toil"), but because you can grow plants
without actually standing them in water, most people define the word to mean growing
plants without using soil.

1.4 TYPES OF HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS

The different types of hydroponic systems are as follows:

• Deepwater culture (DWC)

• Nutrient Film Technique(NFT)

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 • Aeroponics system

• Wicking system

• Ebb and flow(flood and drain)

• Drip system

1. Deep water culture: Deepwater Culture (DWC), also known as the reservoir
method, is by far the easiest method for growing plants with hydroponics. In
a Deepwater Culture hydroponic system, the roots are suspended in a nutrient
solution. An aquarium air pump oxygenates the nutrient solution; this keeps the
roots of the plants from drowning. Remember to prevent light from penetrating
your system, as this can cause algae to grow. This will wreak havoc on your
system.

Fig-1.1: Deep Water culture System

Benefits of Deep Water Culture:

- Very inexpensive and easy to make at home
- Extremely low-maintenance
- Recirculating, so less wasted inputs

Downsides of Deep Water Culture:

- Does not work well for large plants
- Does not work well for plants with long growing period

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2. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): It is a type of hydroponic system where a
continuous flow of nutrient solution runs over the plants roots. This type of
solution is on a slight tilt so that the nutrient solution will flow with the force
of gravity. This type of system works very well because the roots of a plant
absorb more oxygen from the air than from the nutrient solution itself. Since
only the tips of the roots come in contact with the nutrient solution, the plant
is able to get more oxygen which facilitates a faster rate of growth.

Fig-1.2: – Nutrient Film Technique

Benefits of Nutrient Film Technique:

- Minimal growing medium needed
- Recirculating system means less waste

Downsides of Nutrient Film Technique:

- Pump failure of any kind can completely ruin your crop
- Roots can become overgrown and clog the channels

3. Aeroponics System: It is a hydroponics method by which the roots are misted

with a nutrient solution while suspended in the air. There are two primary
methods to get the solution to the exposed roots. The first method involves a
fine spray nozzle to mist the roots. The second method uses what’s called a
pond fogger. If we use a pond fogger then use of Teflon coated disc is must, as
this will reduce the amount of maintenance required. Aero Garden is a
commercialized Aeroponics system. The Aero Garden is an excellent entry

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 point to aeroponics. It’s a turn-key system that requires little setup. It also
comes with great support and supplies to get started.

Fig-1.3:– Aeroponic System

Benefits of Aeroponics:
- Roots often are exposed to more oxygen than submerged-root systems

Downsides of Aeroponics:
- High-pressure nozzles can fail and roots can dry out
- Not as cheap or easy to set up as other methods

4. Wicking System: This is one of the easiest and lowest costing methods of
hydroponics. The concept behind wicking is that you have a material, such as
cotton, that is surrounded by a growing medium with one end of the wick
material placed in the nutrient solution. The solution is then wicked to the roots
of the plant. This system can be simplified by removing the wick material all
together and just using a medium that has the ability to wick nutrients to the
roots. This works by suspending the bottom of your medium directly in the
solution. We recommend using a medium such as perlite or vermiculite. Avoid
using mediums such as Rockwool, coconut coir, or peat moss because they may
absorb too much of your nutrient solution which can suffocate the plant.

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 Fig-1.4: wicking System

Benefits of Wick Systems:

- Truly “hands off” if you set it up correctly
- Fantastic for small plants, beginner gardeners, and children

Downsides of Wick Systems:

- Not good for larger plants
- Incorrect wick placement or material can mean death for your plants

5. Ebb and flow (flood and drain): An ebb & flow hydroponics system, also
known as a flood and drain system, is a great system for growing plants with
hydroponics. This type of system functions by flooding the growing area with
the nutrient solution at specific intervals. The nutrient solution then slowly
drains back into the reservoir. The pump is hooked to a timer, so the process
repeats itself at specific intervals so that your plants get the desired amount of
nutrients. An ebb & flow hydroponics system is ideal for plants that are
accustomed to periods of dryness. Certain plants flourish when they go
through a slight dry period because it causes the root system to grow larger in
search of moisture. As the root system grows larger the plant grows faster
because it can absorb more nutrients.

The tray is “flooded” with your nutrient solution a few times per day, depending on
factors like:
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 - The size of your plants
- The water requirement of your plants
- The air temperature

Fig-1.5: Ebb and Flow system

Benefits of Ebb and Flow:

- Efficient use of water and energy
- Highly customizable to your specific needs

Downsides of Ebb and Flow:

- Roots can dry out quickly if environmental conditions are off or the pump or timer
fails
- Uses a lot of growing medium

6. Drip system: A hydroponic drip system is rather simple. A drip system works
by providing a slow feed of nutrient solution to the hydroponics medium. We
recommend using a slow draining medium, such as Rockwool, coconut coir, or
peat moss. You can also use a faster draining medium, although you will have
to use a faster dripping emitter. The downside to a system like this is that the
drippers / emitter are famous for clogging. We prefer not to use drip systems,
but it can be an effective method for growing if you can avoid the clogs that
plague this type of system. The reason the system gets clogged is because
particles from nutrients that build up in the emitter. Systems that use organic
nutrients are more likely to have this kind of issue.
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 Fig -1.6: Drip System

Benefits of Drip Systems:

- High level of control over feeding and watering schedule
- Less likely to break
- Relatively cheap

Downsides of Drip Systems:

- May be overkill for a smaller garden
- Fluctuating pH and nutrient levels (if using recirculating system)
- a natural fiber High waste (if using waste system)

1.5 MATERILAS USED IN HYDROPONICS SYSTEM

Fig-1.7: Materials used in hydroponics

Coco coir: Coir or coconut fiber is extracted from the husk of coconut. Coir is the fibrous
material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut it has the
advantage of not sinking, so can be used in long lengths on deep water without the added
weight dragging down boats and buoys.

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Rockwool: Mineral wool is any fibrous material formed
by spinning or drawing molten mineral or rock materials such as slag and ceramics. It is
non biodegradable. It is hazardous to health. pH of this must be balanced. Rock wool has
excellent water retaining capacity.
Clay pellets: It is a lightweight aggregate made by heating clay to around 1,200 °C
(2,190 °F) in a rotary kiln. The yielding gases expand the clay by thousands of small
bubbles forming during heating producing a honeycomb structure. It drains quickly and
has neutral Ph. Usually used in Ebb and Flow water culture. 50-50 mix of coco and clay
forms a breathable medium.
Potting soil : Some common ingredients used in potting soil are peat,
composted bark, sand, perlite and recycled mushroom compost, they are puffed/heated to
produce light and porous material.(pertile+cococoir+vermiculite)

1.6 NUTRIENT SOLUTION

Nutrient solution can be either organic or inorganic nutrient solutions.

Inorganic hydroponic solutions

The formulation of hydroponic solutions is an application of plant nutrition, with nutrient
deficiency symptoms mirroring those found in traditional soil based agriculture.
However, the underlying chemistry of hydroponic solutions can differ from soil
chemistry in many significant ways.

Important differences include:

• Unlike soil, hydroponic nutrient solutions do not have cation-exchange

capacity (CEC) from clay particles or organic matter. The absence of CEC means
the pH and nutrient concentrations can change much more rapidly in hydroponic
setups than is possible in soil.
• Selective absorption of nutrients by plants often imbalances the amount of counter
ions in solution. This imbalance can rapidly affect solution pH and the ability of
plants to absorb nutrients of similar ionic charge
• Depending on the pH and/or on the presence of water contaminants, nutrients such
as iron can precipitate from the solution and become unavailable to plants.

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 Routine adjustments to pH, buffering the solution, and/or the use of chelating
agents is often necessary.

Element Ionic form(s) Low range (ppm) High range (ppm)

Nitrogen NO−3and/or NH+4 100 1000

Potassium K+ 100 400

Phosphorus PO3−4 30] 100

Calcium Ca2+ 200 500

Magnesium Mg2+ 50 100

Sulfur SO2−4 50 1000

Iron Fe3+and Fe2+ 2 5

Zinc Zn2+ 0.05 1

Copper Cu2+ 0.01 1

Manganese Mn2+ 0.5 1

Boron B(OH)−4 0.3 10

Molybdenum MoO−4 0.001 0.05

Nickel Ni2+ 0.057 1.5

Chlorine Cl− 0 Highly variable

Aluminum Al3+ 0 10

Silicon SiO2−3 0 140

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 Titanium Ti3+ 0 5

Cobalt Co2+ 0 0.1

Sodium Na+ 0 Highly variable

Vanadium VO2+ 0 Trace,

undetermined

Lithium Li+ 0 Undetermined

Table -1.1: Inorganic Hydroponics Solution

Organic hydroponic solutions

Organic fertilizers can be used to supplement or entirely replace the inorganic

compounds used in conventional hydroponic solutions. Examples of suitable materials,
with their average nutritional contents tabulated in terms of percent dried mass, are listed
in the following table.

Organic material N P2O5 K2O CaO MgO SO2

Bloodmeal 13.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.5% – –

Bone ashes – 35.0% – 46.0% 1.0% 0.5%

Bonemeal 4.0% 22.5% – 33.0% 0.5% 0.5%

Hoof / Horn meal 14.0% 1.0% – 2.5% – 2.0%

Fishmeal 9.5% 7.0% – 0.5% – –

Wool waste 3.5% 0.5% 2.0% 0.5% – –

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Wood ashes – 2.0% 5.0% 33.0% 3.5% 1.0%

Cottonseed ashes – 5.5% 27.0% 9.5% 5.0% 2.5%

Table-1.2: Organic Hydroponics Solution

1.7 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Below are different considerations in achieving optimal growing conditions with
hydroponics.

• Water: Water quality is constant concern in hydroponic growing. Depending on

the area in which you live your water supply might have high alkalinity which is
not healthy for plants. Typically a pH range of 5.0 to 7.0 is the goal for optimal
growing conditions.
• Light: All plants require sunlight to grow but the amount of direct light often
depends on the type of plant. In an indoor growing environment plants
require artificial lighting to supplement the sunlight. Indoors, plants require
between 8 and 10 hours of direct light per day. (Metal Halide (MH), High
Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps).
• Electrical Conductivity (EC) between 1.2 – 3.5 Mho
• Nutrients: they are plant food. Plants absolutely require macro nutrients to
survive. The primary nutrients are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium
(K) - or NPK. In hydroponic gardening, additives are needed to deliver these
nutrients to the roots in the form of a solution. Pre-mixed nutrient solutions
are available in many varieties and can be used depending on the stage of plant
growth and health.
• Temperature: A plant’s temperature needs to be maintained at a consistent range
in order to avoid sending it into shock. Vegetables which are planted during
fall/winter months require a temperature range from 50 to 70 degrees. Vegetables
which are planted during spring/summer months require a temperature range of 60
to 80 degrees.

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 • Oxygen: In hydroponic gardening, plants require oxygen to carry out their
function of water and nutrient uptake. This differs from soil-based gardening
which usually has sufficient oxygen supply. An air stone is sometimes necessary
in certain hydroponic growing methods in order to circulate enough oxygen
through the water supply.
• Structure/Support: Without soil, hydroponically-grown plants require additional
support to stay in place. By using strings or stakes you ensure that your plants’
roots are in place and are absorbing the nutrient solution effectively. This also
secures them and prevents damage and breakage.

1.8 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

HYDROPONICS

• Advantages:
1. No soil needed: can grow crops in places where the land is limited, doesn't exist,
or is heavily contaminated.
2. Make better use of space and location: because all that plants need are provided
and maintained in a system. Plants roots usually expand and spread out in search
of foods, and oxygen in the soil. In case of Hydroponics, where the roots are sunk
in a tank full of oxygenated nutrient solution and directly contact with vital
minerals. Hence can grow plants much closer, and consequently save huge space.
With smaller roots more plants can be grown in same area and yield more.
(Eg. field tomatoes- 4000-5000 plants/acre but hydroponic tomatoes- 10,000-
11,000 plants/acre)
Climate control: like in greenhouses, hydroponic growers can have total control
over the climate - temperature, humidity, light intensification, the composition of
the air. In this sense, you can grow foods all year round regardless of the season.
Farmers can produce foods at the appropriate time to maximize their business
profits.

3. Hydroponics is water-saving: plants grown hydroponically use only 10% of

water compared to field-grown ones. In this method, water is recirculated. Plants

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 will take up the necessary water, while run-off ones will be captured and return to
the system. Water loss only occurs in two forms - evaporation and leaks from the
system (but an efficient hydroponic setup will minimize or don't have any leaks).

4. Effective use of nutrients: hydroponics has 100% control of the nutrients (foods)
that plants need. Before planting, growers can check what plants require and the
specific amounts of nutrients needed at particular stages and mix them with water
accordingly. Nutrients are conserved in the tank, so there are no losses or changes
of nutrients like they are in the soil.

5. pH control of the solution: All of the minerals are contained in the water. That
means you can measure and adjust the pH levels of your water mixture much
more easily compared to the soils. That ensures the optimal nutrients uptake for
plants.

6. Better growth rate: hydroponically plants grow faster than in soil.

Plants are placed in ideal conditions, while nutrients are provided at the sufficient
amounts, and come into direct contacts with the root systems. Thereby, plants no
longer waste valuable energy searching for diluted nutrients in the soil. Instead,
they shift all of their focus on growing and producing fruits.

7. No weeds: elimination of soil eliminates weeds too. Hence time saving.

8. Fewer pests & diseases: getting rids of soil makes plants less vulnerable to soil-
born pests like birds, gophers, groundhogs; and diseases like Fusarium, Pythium,
and Rhizoctonia species

9. Less use of insecticide, and herbicides: no soil usage and while the weeds,
pests, and plant diseases are heavily reduced, there are fewer chemicals used. This
helps you grow cleaner and healthier foods.

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 10. Labor and time savers: fewer works on tilling, watering, cultivating, and
fumigating weeds and pests, much time saved because plants' growth is proven to
be higher in Hydroponics.

• Disadvantages:

1. A Hydroponic garden requires time and commitment: In soil-borne

counterparts, plants can be left on its own for days and weeks, and they still
survive in a short time. That's not the case in Hydroponics. Plants will die out
more quickly without proper care and adequate knowledge.

2. Experiences and technical knowledge: hydroponics is a system of many types

of equipment, which requires necessary specific expertise for the devices used.

3. Water and electricity risk: In a Hydroponic system, mostly use water and
electricity. Electricity in a combination of water in close proximity. There is
always a risk for safety.

4. System failure threats: using electricity to manage the whole system. So

suppose no preliminary actions are taken for a power outage, the system will stop
working immediately, and plants may dry out quickly and will die in several
hours.

5. Initial expenses: to set up the lab, equipments, crops etc.

6. Long return per investment: This is largely because of the high initial
expenses and the long, uncertain ROI (return on investment).

7. Diseases & pests may spread quickly: here growing of plants is in a closed
system using water. In the case of plant infections or pests, they can escalate fast
to plants on the same nutrient reservoir.

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 CHAPTER-2

2.1 LIST OF PLANTS THAT CAN BE GROWN

HYDROPONICALLY

SL NO TYPE THE OF NAME OF THE CROP

CROP

1 Cereals Rice, Maize

2 Fruits Strawberry, Raspberry

Tomato, Chili, Urinal, Green bean, Beet,

Vegetables Winged bean, Bell pepper, Cucumbers,

4
Melons, onions.

Lettuce, Spinach, Celery, Swiss chard,

5 Leafy vegetables Atriplex

Coriander leaves, Methi, Parsley, Mint,

6 Condiments Sweet basil, Oregano

Flowers Marigold, Roses, Carnations,

7
Chrysanthemum

8 Medicinal crops Indian Aloe, Coleus

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 Fodder crops Sorghum, Alfa Alfa, Bermuda grass, Carpet
9
grass

Table-2.1: Different species of plants grown under hydroponic system

2.2 COMPARISION OF HYDROPONICALLY GROWN

YEILD AND AGRICULTURALLY GROWN YEILD

HYDROPONIC AVERAGE AGRICULTURAL

NAME OF THE CROP
{per acre ) AVERAGE (per acre)
Wheat 5,000 lb. 600 lb.
Oats 3,000 lb. 850 lb.
Rice 12,000 lb. 750-900 lb.
Maize 8,000 lb. 1,500 lb.
Soybean 1,500 lb. 600 lb.
Potato 70 tons 8 tons lb.
Beet root 20,000 lb. 9,000 lb.
Cabbage 18,000 lb. 13,000 lb.
Peas 14,000 lb. 2,000 lb.
Tomato 180 tones 5-10 tones
Cauliflower 30,000 lb. 10-15,000 lb.
French bean 42,000 lb. -
Lettuce 21,000 lb. 9,000 lb.
Lady’s finger 19,000 lb. 5-8,000 lb.
Cucumber 28,000 lb. 7,000 lb.

Table- 2.2: Comparison of hydroponic and soil grown plants

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 WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5

Fig-2.1: Hydroponic plant growth

CHAPTER-3

3.1 WORLD HYDROPONICS STATUS

There has been a massive growth in hydroponics cultivation in the past few years in
number of forward thinking countries. For instance, in Australia the area under
hydroponic crop production went from 155 to 2500 ha from 1990 to 2008. World
commercial hydroponics industry has grown 4 to 5 folds in the last 10 years and is
currently estimated at between 20,000 and 25,000 ha with a farm gate value of US$4 to
$6 Billion. According to the recent survey, it was found that hydroponics crops farming
industry is expected to expand in the next five years with an average annual rate of 4.4%
to US$674.9Million. It is believed to grow more in the coming decade and will be a major
milestone in the agriculture field. According to a new press release, collaboration between
Emirates Flight Catering and all other Dubai and US Airports has invested US$40 Million
towards world largest hydroponic farm. Land is around 900 acres and can produce about
3.5 ton leafy greens every day.

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 Fig -3.1: World Hydroponics

Main countries using hydroponics are Holland, Spain, Australia, USA, Canada, New
Zealand, Italy, Mexico, China, Pakistan etc. they have adopted hydroponic cultivation
with major government support.

Main crops are cucumber, Tomato, lettuce, strawberry, herbs, capsicums, flowers etc. but
not limited to these alone.

3.2 IMPLIMENTATION PROCESS

PLAN DESIGN IMPLIMENT PROCEDURE SUSTAIN
Greenhouse Setup
LAND Identify land Blueprint Layout Maintenance
equipment greenhouse
Identify water Design water Purchase pumps Run pumps and
WATER Install pumps
source collection and generators generators

CONTAINER Procure Install

Determine size Blueprint system Maintenance
SYSTEM components components
Identify plants Transfer
SEEDS Get sampling Growth
and nursery sampling
Identify
Identify quantity Install initial
FERTILIZER fertilizer and Procure fertilizer Add as required
and schedule amounts
source
Identify Procure
MANPOWER Procure resource On job training Manage operations
resource operational item

Table-3.1: Implementation Process

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3.3 COST ESTIMATION

CAPITAL COST OPERATIONAL COST

Land Poly bag

Green house Coco pier

Soil preparation Trellising clips

Drip system Nutrients

Munching sheet Seeds

Consultant Salary

Electricity

Table-3.2: Cost Estimation elements

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3.3.1 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS OWNED)

CAPITAL COSTS (per one acre)

• Cost of land Rs 0 lakhs

• Cost of Green House Rs 19 lakhs
• Drip irrigation Rs 5 lakhs
• Soil preparation Rs 40,000
• Mulching sheet Rs 20,000
• Project consultancy Rs 6 lakhs
Grand Total (every 5 yrs) Rs 30.5 lakhs (approx)

OPERATIONAL COSTS (1acre/year)

• Poly bags Rs 24,000
• Salary Coco pear Rs 1,35,000
• Trellising thread and clips Rs 25,000
• Nutrients per cropping cycle Rs 1,00,000
• Organic pesticides per cycle Rs 30,000
• Seeds Rs 1,44,000
• for 2 employees Rs 2,40,000
• Electricity Rs 60,000
Grand Total (per year) Rs 9.0 lakhs (approx)

REVENUES (1acre/year)
• Number of Kgs yield per plant 5 Kg
• Number of plants per yield 12,000 plants
• Number of yields per year 2 yields
• Price per Kg sold in market Rs 20

Grand Total (per year) Rs33.5lakhs

*Equated profit about 19 lakhs /year

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3.3.2 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS BOUGHT)

CAPITAL COSTS (per one acre)

• Land bought Rs 20 lakhs

• Cost of Green House Rs 19 lakhs
• Drip irrigation Rs 5 lakhs
• Soil preparation Rs 40,000
• Mulching sheet Rs 20,000
• Project consultancy Rs 6 lakhs
Grand Total (every 5 yrs) Rs 50.5 lakhs (approx)

OPERATIONAL COSTS (1 acre / year)

• Poly bags Rs 24,000
• Salary Coco pear Rs 1,35,000
• Trellising thread and clips Rs 25,000
• Nutrients per cropping cycle Rs 1,00,000
• Organic pesticides per cycle Rs 30,000
• Seeds Rs 1,44,000
• for 2 employees Rs 2,40,000
• Electricity Rs 60,000
Grand Total (per year) Rs 9.0 lakhs (approx)
REVENUES (1 acre / year)
• Number of Kgs yield per plant 5 Kg
• Number of plants per yield 12,000 plants
• Number of yields per year 2 yields
• Price per Kg sold in market Rs 20

Grand Total (per year) Rs 33.5 lakhs (approx)

*Equated profit about 15 lakhs /year

Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 29

 3.3.3 REVENUE FLOW (WHEN LAND IS LEASED)

CAPITAL COSTS (per one acre)

• Cost of Green House Rs 19 lakhs

• Drip irrigation Rs 5 lakhs
• Soil preparation Rs 40,000
• Mulching sheet Rs 20,000
• Project consultancy Rs 6 lakhs
Grand Total (every 5 yrs) Rs 30.5 lakhs (approx)

OPERATIONAL COSTS(1 acre/year)

• Rent of land Rs 2,40,000
• Poly bags Rs 24,000
• Salary Coco pear Rs 1,35,000
• Trellising thread and clips Rs 25,000
• Nutrients per cropping cycle Rs 1,00,000
• Organic pesticides per cycle Rs 30,000
• Seeds Rs 1,44,000
• for 2 employees Rs 2,40,000
• Electricity Rs 60,000
Grand Total (per year) Rs 11.5 lakhs (approx)

REVENUES(1 acre/year)
• Number of Kgs yield per plant 5 Kg
• Number of plants per yield 12,000 plants
• Number of yields per year 2 yields
• Price per Kg sold in market Rs 20

Grand Total (per year) Rs 33.5 lakhs (approx)

Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 30

 *Equated profit about 16.5 lakhs /year

3.2 FUTURE SCOPE OF HYDROPONICS

Hydroponics is the fastest growing sector of agriculture, and it could very well dominate food
production in the future. As population increases and arable land declines due to poor land
management, people will turn to new technologies like hydroponics and Aeroponics to create
additional channels of crop production.
The hydroponics techniques produce a yield 1,000 times greater than the same sized area of
land could produce annually.

Hydroponics has the ability to feed millions in areas of Africa and Asia, where both water and
crops are scarce. Hydroponics also will be important to the future of the space program.
NASA has extensive hydroponics research plans in place, which will benefit current space
exploration, as well as future, long-term colonization of Mars or the Moon. As we haven't yet
found soil that can support life in space, and the logistics of transporting soil via the space
shuttles seems impractical, hydroponics could be key to the future of space exploration. The
benefits of hydroponics in space are twofold: It offers the potential for a larger variety of
food, and it provides a biological aspect, called a bio-regenerative life support system. This
simply means that as the plants grow, they will absorb carbon-di-oxide and stale air and
provide renewed oxygen through the plant's natural growing process. This is important for
long-range habitation of both the space stations and other planets. Globally, it was estimated
that the hydroponic farming industry was worth $21.4 billion in 2015, with its value projected
to grow at 7 per cent per year. Slowly but steadily, farming appears to be changing. But
equally, there are big global changes on the horizon, and these could vastly accelerate the use
of controlled-environment agriculture. By 2050, an extra 3bn people could be living on Earth,
with over 80 per cent of the global population living in urban centers. We’re already using the
vast majority of land suitable for raising crops, so new growing areas – particularly in arid
regions – need to be found.

3.3 SUCCESS STORIES IN INDIA

Future Farms , Chennai

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 Sriram Gopal, 34, is the CEO and founder of Future Farms. It was start-up started in the year
2010. By 2015-16 they were growing at 300 percent every year. In the year 2015-16 turnover
was about 38 lakhs. In the year 2016-17 turnover was about 2 crores. They are hoping to
reach 6 crores this year. The company currently sells hydroponic kits on its website for prices
ranging from Rs 999 to 69,999, with shipment charges extra. They also set up hydroponic
units on turnkey basis.

It would cost around Rs 1 lakh to set up a 200 sq ft hydroponic farm, and anywhere between
Rs 1 - 10 lakhs for a farm of 200-5,000 sq ft size. Sriram says the ROI (Return on Investment)
will be within 24-30 months.

The company has set up quarter acre farms for Adani group in Bhuj, and a farmer in Kotagiri,
who cultivates iceberg lettuce for McDonald’s.

Fig-3.2: Future Farms, Chennai

Hydro Bloom , Bengaluru

Sunil Jose, 50, is the managing partner at Hydro Bloom.They have initiated vertical garden on
a Metro pillar near MG Road Metro station. About 800 plants – including ornamental plants
are already part of vertical garden. There are 222 pillars and they aim on installing it at each.
They plan on installing it in all metro pillars once this idea seems to be working.

Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 32

 Fig-(3.3-3.4): Metro pillars vertical gardening , Bengaluru

Triton Food works , Delhi

In 2014 Deepak Kukreja, Dhruv Khanna, Ullas Samrat and Devanshu Shivnani started Triton
Food works. At present produces 700 tons of fruits and vegetables. This company is one of
the leading companies in growing hydroponic fruits and vegetables.

CHAPTER -4

4.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

Ms. Mamta D. Sardare et al. (2013) - ‘A review on plant without soil – Hydroponics’.

It was concluded that The industry is expected to grow exponentially also in future, as
conditions of soil growing is becoming difficult. Specially, in a country like India , where
urban concrete conglomerate is growing each day , there is no option but adopting soil-less
culture to help improve the yield and quality of the produce so that we can ensure food
security of our country. However, Government intervention and Research Institute interest
can propel the use of this technology.

Matthew T. Murphy et al. (2011) - ‘Comparison between Hydroponically and

Conventionally and Organically Grown Lettuces for Taste, Odor, Visual Quality and Texture:
A Pilot Study’

In this study, hydroponic lettuce grown by a local distributor and conventionally and

Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 33

 organically field-grown lettuces purchased at local retail stores were compared by descriptive
analysis for taste, odor, visual quality and texture. Five lettuce varieties were compared:
Romaine, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Butter and Common lettuce. A twenty-three member sensory
panel randomly rated the lettuces using a 5 point scale or a 3 point scale for taste, odor, visual
quality and texture. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for each lettuce variety
with comparison between those hydroponically, organically and conventionally grown.
Overall, panel members equally liked the different lettuce samples. The results showed that
for each of the five varieties of lettuces, all lettuces were perceived to be equal in their
sensory evaluation for those grown locally and hydroponically or purchased from local
grocery as organically or conventionally grown.

Chenin Treftz et al. (2015) – ‘Comparison between Hydroponic and Soil-Grown

Strawberries: Sensory Attributes and Correlations with Nutrient Content’.

In this study, they evaluated the sensory differences and preferences in hydroponically grown
and soil-grown strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) using unspecified discriminatory and
preference analyses, and descriptive testing correlated with nutrition content data. Most (87%)
of participants could identify differences between hydroponically and soil grown strawberries
and 70% preferred the hydroponically grown strawberry (p = 0.06). The nutrient composition
of the strawberries significantly influenced several sensory analysis categories (sweetness,
overall flavor and overall taste (p < 0.05)). The use of sensory studies in relation to consumer
acceptance and nutrient quality will be an important factor to consider for exploring growing
methods and techniques in hydroponic technology.

Chenin Treftz et al. (2015) –‘Comparison between Hydroponic- and Soil-Grown

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus): Viability and Sensory Traits’.

This research investigated the viability, unspecified sensory differences, ascorbic acid,
tocopherol, total polyphenolic bioactive compounds and catechins of hydroponic raspberries
compared to soil grown raspberries. Overall, plant survival rate for hydroponic raspberries
was 33% and for soil-grown raspberries, it was 66%. Fruit yield per plant was 10% higher in
hydroponic raspberries compared to soil-grown. Sensory evaluation results by untrained
participants illustrated that they were unable to differentiate between hydroponic and soil-
grown raspberries. Nutritional analysis indicated similar values except for ascorbic acid,

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 which was significantly higher in soil-grown raspberries. Growing raspberries hydroponically
is feasible and sensory qualities are equal to soil-grown raspberries.

Marilou P. Pascual et al. (2018) – ‘Vertical farming using hydroponic system: towards a
sustainable onion production in Nueva Ecija, Philippines’.

The country is known as the onion capital of Southeast Asia. The study measured the
technology’s sustainability and acceptability to onion farmers. By using experimental method,
interview, and Focused Group Discussions (FGD), the study established its viability. Three
phases of field experiments were conducted in August 2016, May 2017 and July 2017 using
the Vertical Farming and Hydroponics Technology and Single Factor Analysis of Variance.
The results showed that there is significant difference in the growth of onion bulb per week
and the suitability and comparability of the technology to conventional farming. The study
concluded that the VFH technology is acceptable to most onion farmers except the aspect of
the cost of initial investment which requires government subsidy for the ordinary onion
grower to avail of this new and sustainable technology in onion production.

Y.N. Chow et al. (2017) – ‘New emerging hydroponic system’.

The current research findings have verified the feasibility of the newly adopted hydroponic
systems under controlled environment for food crops cultivation. The effects of heavy metals
contaminated irrigation water have been shown to reduce plants physical growth, disrupt the
photosynthetic pigments synthesis, oxidation on the membraneous lipid molecules, and
accumulation of proline as the metal scavenger and osmoregulator, and alterations in
antioxidant enzymes activities. This study could contribute to the country and Malaysian
populace by proposing the water quality guidelines for the safe use of wastewater in
agriculture irrigation. Eventually, this could help in integrating water reuse into the core water
governance frameworks and concurrently reduces the water footprint of food production in
Malaysia. The proposed research project also presents a blueprint for food safety policies for
the protection of human health. The concept of hydroponic cultivation systems could be
integrated into the vertical farming, to support the sustainability of food-water security, land
usage, and public health.

Depart of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 35

 4.2 REFERENCES

www.explainthatstuff.com

www.urbankisaan.com

www.fullbloomhydroponics.net

www.indiamart.com – HGTIPL India

Ms. Mamta D. Sardare et al. (2013) - ‘A review on plant without soil – Hydroponics’.

Matthew T. Murphy et al. (2011) - ‘Comparison between Hydroponically and

Conventionally and Organically Grown Lettuces for Taste, Odor, Visual Quality and Texture:
A Pilot Study’.

Chenin Treftz et al. (2015) – ‘Comparison between Hydroponic and Soil-Grown

Strawberries: Sensory Attributes and Correlations with Nutrient Content’.

Chenin Treftz et al. (2015) –‘Comparison between Hydroponic- and Soil-Grown

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus): Viability and Sensory Traits’.

Marilou P. Pascual et al. (2018) – ‘Vertical farming using hydroponic system: towards a
sustainable onion production in Nueva Ecija, Philippines’.

Y.N. Chow et al. (2017) – ‘New emerging hydroponic system’.

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