<div>Background: Hydroponics has recently gained much importance in the field of sustainable way of practicing agriculture. Large-scale cultivation of commercially important crops has seen the bad effects of environmental stress of drought, saline conditions which decrease the annual crop production and moreover usage of harmful pesticides has become a major health concern. Growing and producing vegetables using controlled conditions in hydroponics showed a promising way of cultivating crops irrespective of season and geographical area. 
 
Methods: Techniques like Nutrient film technique (NFT) help in providing nutrients and minerals directly to the roots in a precise manner and involving in recirculation of water which eventually avoid the salts accumulation. Present study focusses on cultivation of high demand crop, chili (Capsicum annuum), well known for its value-addition, medicinal properties and possess high economic significance with high export potential using NFT technique. 
 
Result: The results shown that, the parameters influencing the plant&rsquo;s growth and yield such as electrical conductivity (EC), potential of hydrogen (pH), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature of the nutrient solution with highest frequency are in the range of 1660-1860 &micro;S/cm, 4.7-5.0, 899-989 ppm and 28.4-29.4&deg;C. The statistical methods, Pearson Correlation matrix showed the relation between the number of fruits produced and nutrient solution parameters where, EC, TDS and temperature showed a positive correlation while pH formed a negative correlation. The current study provides valuable insights for cultivating chili through NFT hydroponics.</div>

Evaluating the Growth Parameters of Chili in Hydroponics using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): A Sustainable and Efficient Alternative to Traditional Agriculture

Background: Making the switch from traditional soil farming to hydroponics is essential in modern agriculture to maximize resource utilization, guarantee food security and address environmental challenges. In addition to encouraging water conservation and offering exact control over nutrient distribution, hydroponics also holds the potential to increase agricultural production. In contrast, soil-based agriculture is a tried-and-true farming technique that depends on naturally occurring minerals. 
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Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate the morpho-physiological response of spinach in hydroponics and in soil during the winter season of 2022. In NFT hydroponics plants were planted using potting mix as a growing media. Hydroponically grown spinach was compared with the traditional grown spinach. 
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Result: Spinach grown hydroponically exhibited superior leaf characteristics, including a larger leaf area, longer and broader leaves and a higher leaf count per plant. Additionally, hydroponic plants demonstrated enhanced growth traits, such as greater height, longer roots and thicker petioles. Notably, hydroponically grown spinach contained significantly more chlorophyll, indicating improved photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, both hydroponically and soil-grown spinach showed similar levels of nitrogen accumulation, suggesting that hydroponics can effectively support nutrient uptake comparable to conventional methods.

Evaluating the Growth Parameters of Chili in Hydroponics using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): A Sustainable and Efficient Alternative to Traditional Agriculture

Hydroponics vs Soil: An in-Depth Assessment of Morpho-physiological Traits in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)