SOIL FREE AGRICULTURE
In field agriculture, we can give the plant's requests to it through land or irrigation. But we cannot control its environmental conditions. However, the soil's resting problem also limits our ability to obtain the product we want whenever we want. The greenhouse method has emerged to control climatic conditions. But as a result of this, the formation started to be out of its normal course since the plants could not get the minerals and other substances they took from the soil on time because the climate was different from the normal. For this, we can give an example of the fact that the tomatoes we bought are red on the outside and not mature on the inside.
Benefits of Landless Agriculture
- Agricultural Production Opportunity in Unfavorable Places: Since soilless agriculture is a production method that can be done without being tied to the soil, agriculture can be done in unsuitable areas. .
- Earliness, Yield and Increase in Quality: As it provides a balanced nutrition and care opportunities, plants tend to yield earlier and more. Since the desired nutrient element is given to the plants in the required amounts, it is possible to obtain early and high quality products.
- Controlled Nutrition of Plants: It is possible to choose the nutrients to be given to plants and to give them in desired amounts. Thus, plant feeding can be done in a controlled manner. By giving fertilizer equally to the plants, it becomes easier to ensure the growth and development of the plants at equal levels and to obtain close yields. The harmful effects of some foods (such as Manganese, Iron, Zinc, Molybdenum, Copper) can be avoided. Problems such as pH and Ec, which have negative effects on plant nutrition in soil cultivation, can be prevented. In addition, as the temperature and oxygen control can be made in the environment around the root, the nutrient utilization performance of the plants is positively affected.
- Water Economy and Control: In soilless agriculture, the water given to the crops is used extensively by infiltration into the soil, by holding in water or due to evaporation. For irrigation, there is a lot of expense in agricultural areas such as creating furrows or pans every year. Since the water given in soilless agriculture is measurable and given to the plants in a controlled manner, it is not wasted much and irrigation systems require less money because it depends on automation.
- Reduction of Energy and Workforce: Significant gains are obtained as fully technological and automation systems are put into operation in the workforce required for operations in soil agriculture. . Less energy is used.
- Disease, Pest and Weed Control: The nutrient solution and growing medium used for feeding the plants can be sterilized. Thus, root diseases can be prevented. In addition, since there is a controlled production during the growing period, the risk of diseases and pests can be greatly reduced. Since the cultivation is in water or solid environment, there is no weed problem.
Why Landless Farming?
- Soil Loss: There is a possibility of rapid population growth and insufficient agricultural lands to meet the nutritional needs of this population. Because in countries where deserts are dominated by normal agricultural lands; In places where agriculture is tried to be carried out by means of transport by terracing on stony-sloping lands on the Mediterranean coast of our country; This situation is encountered in areas reserved for erosion, aridity and agricultural lands for settlement and tourism areas.
- Soil Fatigue: Cultivation of the same product in greenhouses for many years in a row causes soil fatigue and this decreases productivity. Although methods such as soil change and making changes in the crop to be grown (crop rotation) can be used to solve soil fatigue; Such applications are neither practical nor very economical for manufacturers. Moreover, despite all the precautions taken in modern agriculture, the desired increases in productivity and quality cannot be achieved.
- Disease, Pest and Weed Problem: In places where intensive agriculture is carried out and the same product is continuously grown, Although progress has been made in the control of diseases, pests and weeds in modern agriculture by means of pesticide control, a complete control cannot be achieved, and the use of harmful drugs causes problems especially in selling products abroad.
- Excessive Fertilizer and Water Consumption: One of the intensive production inputs in fields with soil agriculture and especially in greenhouses is to obtain more efficiency and quality from plants is the use of fertilizers. This situation raises the suspicion that there may be fertilizer deficit and polluting effects on the soil and the environment in the future. Due to difficulties in determining the amount of water used by plants in landed agriculture areas (as a result of leakage into the depths of the soil and loss by evaporation from the soil and plants), the water consumption used to irrigate the plants can be 4-5 times that used in soilless agriculture.
- Energy and Labor Saving: Labor is required for all cultural practices in soil agriculture. Labor requirement is quite high due to processes such as cultivation of the soil, preparation for planting, hoeing, making it suitable for irrigation, sterilization, fertilization of plants, weed control. A lot of energy is needed to operate many tools and equipment, especially tractor and connection equipment.
