A group of students from the Federal Institute of Science and Technology (FISAT), Ernakulam, have developed a nutrition formula in hydroponics farming that gives three times more yield with lesser intake of water and fertilisers.
The project was initiated in 2019 under the leadership of three assistant professors – Mahesh C, Bejoy Varghese and Rajesh TR. They continued experimenting even when the pandemic hit by arranging a small farm at their own houses. Today, the team grows multiple varieties of vegetables in 1.5 acres of leased land near the campus.
As part of a central government project called E-yantra Farm Setup Initiative (EFSI), the team began experimenting based on the topic ‘application of robotics in agriculture’ with the support of IIT Bombay. “We got a well-equipped lab in the year 2017 and conducted many successful experiments regarding smart agriculture concepts. The idea of hydroponics farming, which is prevalent in America and European countries, struck us two years later,” says Bejoy, assistant professor, department of electronics and communication engineering.
The basic principle of hydroponics farming is maximum production from minimum space and raw materials. In this regard, the engineering students and teachers are trying to help farmers attain better yield thereby finding a solution to feed the growing population of Kerala without depending on other states.
“Almost all districts of Kerala are vastly populated and there is no hope of finding more land for farming purposes. All we could do is to increase production from existing areas without harming the soil and by prioritising the health of consumers by using organic fertilisers only. Employing the hydroponics method will definitely contribute to that cause,” explains Mahesh, assistant professor, department of computer science engineering.
Their farming experiment was successful with leafy vegetables like cabbage/ cauliflower, vine crops like cucumber/ tomato/ brinjal, rooty vegetables like radish/ turnip/ potato and even medicinal plants like brahmi/ vetiver.
All of them were grown using organic fertilisers and just 10 per cent of water as compared to regular cultivation.
The fertilisers were transported via food grade pipes directly into the plants which ensure minimal usage. In more technical words, it is a programmable nutrient injection that differs for each variety of crop.
According to the professors, farmers can be broadly classified into two groups. First, the ones who stick to traditional techniques, which don’t harm the environment or human health but won’t provide a stable income for them. Second, are the ones who largely use chemical fertilisers to multiply the yield which adversely affects the health of soil and consumers.