Q – What is hydroponics?
(a) Growing plant without soil
(b) Grafting plant
(c) Study of vegetables
(d) Soil conservation
U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009
Ans. (a)
Explanation: Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in the complete absence of soil. A nutrient solution is supplied to the plants in this method of cultivation.
| Minerals are absorbed by plants in solution form. So it is possible to grow plants in water containing the desired amount of mineral salts taking care that the aerial parts are exposed to air and light. This technique of growing plants in a nutrient solution in complete absence of soil is known as Hydroponics or water culture. It was demonstrated for the first time by a German Botanist Julius Von Sachs in the year 1980. In water culture experiments, seedlings are made to grow in water containing the known nutrients in a particular proportion. Vigorous bubbling of the air is routinely done to provide sufficient oxygen to the root system. The culture solutions may contain all essential nutrients except the one whose importance is to be identified. Then the plant growing in it is compared to the one growing with all essential nutrients (control experiment). Water culture experiments help us to understand :
(i) which element is essential for normal growth of the plant. Hydroponics has been successfully employed for the commercial production of seedless cucumber, tomato and lettuce. Source: NUTRITION IN PLANTS – MINERAL NUTRITION, NIOS. |