Hydroponic Growth Media (Substrate): A Review

Abstract

From the reviewed literature, it is observed that scientist’s worked on the various substrate medias used for hydroponic system. They also studied about different combinations of the media and their effect on crop growth. The reviewed literature shows that scientists have studied different organic and inorganic media viz. cocopit, saw dust, rice husk vermiculite, perlite, hydroton, pumice, sand etc. It was also found that these media are not easily, cheaply and locally available for users. Beside this, few scientists studied about physical and chemical properties of media such as particle size, porosity, bulk density, wettability, water holding capacity (WHC), Air filled porosity (AFP), Electrical conductivity, pH of these media. The crop specific suitability of combinations of the different media mixtures were also tested and reported by many scientists. It was revealed from reviewed literature that salinity of media caused linear reduction in the water consumption. The size and shape of particle size distribution are useful for estimating the hydraulic properties of the media The substrate under long cultivation period causes increase of organic matter content and microorganism activity which leads to an increased competition for oxygen in the root environment. The optimal EC levels range from 1.5 to 4.0 dSm-1 according to crop and its sensitivity to different salinity levels. It was also observed that level of growing medium temperature close to that of the surrounding air seems more suitable. The ideal substrate should have a total porosity of over 85 percent. Particles of smaller-sized individual grains have a larger specific surface area.

Separate Effects of Sodium on Germination in Saline–Sodic and Alkaline Forms at Different Concentrations

“…Of the saline–sodic solutions, lower pH values were recorded in the high-NaCl solution, which also had an elevated EC. Regulation of the nutrient solution’s pH in hydroponic systems has been linked to a plant’s ability to uptake nutrients and to grow healthily [ 22 , 23 ]. Notably, the literature states that the recommended pH range for hydroponic solutions to allow for the availability of all nutrients is between 5.5 and 5.8 [ 24 ].…”

Pemanfaatan Limbah Substrat Dan Limbah Cair Kopi Sebagai Media Pembibitan Tembakau Besuki

“…Penelitian dan praktik budidaya dengan media non tanah banyak dilakukan karena alasan substrat murah dan mudah ditemukan serta memiliki beberapa karakteristik yang menguntungkan. Beberapa kelebihan penggunaan media tanam substrat diantaranya adalah rendahnya serangan patogen tular tanah, memudahkan pemberian air dan nutrisi, solusi pada lahan dengan tanah asin, masam, dan lainnya (Patil et al, 2020). Hidroponik substrat meningkatkan produktivitas dan kualitas stoberi melalui pengelolaan intensif dan efektif serta dianggap lebih ramah lingkungan dan ekonomis (Nazarideljou et al, 2019).…”

Response of Potted Hebe andersonii to Salinity under an Efficient Irrigation Management

“…However, the salinized treatments reduced the total water applied compared to the control, with 25% less water for SL3 and 47% less water for SL5. A variety of published papers have reported that high salinity levels decrease plant water consumption [23][24][25][26]. SL3 and SL5 consumed less water because (i) salts decrease the saturation vapor pressure of irrigation water, thus reducing the evaporation rate [27,28], and (ii) salinized plants take up less water from the substrate as a consequence of the osmotic stress induced by salts [8,29].…”