Till 2016, Pritpal Singh’s circle of relatives in Chandigarh were cultivating wheat and paddy for fifty years.
“The tradition of monocropping is prevalent in Punjab and Haryana the place maximum households develop paddy and wheat right through each Kharif and Rabi seasons. Sticking to express vegetation yr after yr ultimately ends up in an building up in soil-borne sicknesses and considerably decreases the fertility of soil,” he says.
Pritpal was once all the time intrigued by way of new techniques to make farming extra successful and cut back the hazards related to conventional agricultural practices. This quest led him to hand over his three-year lengthy company occupation and switch to farming.
“Coming from a circle of relatives of farmers, I used to be all the time hooked up to my roots, even right through my larger research in Nagpur and my task in Mumbai. Each time I were given a possibility, I visited my farm, considering learn how to grow to be it right into a successful mission for the following era,” he stocks.
“Once I informed my oldsters about my determination to pursue farming full-time, their first worry was once additionally concerning the new approaches I sought after to check out,” provides the MBA graduate.
Pritpal went on to show his ancestral farm right into a thriving industry with 25,000 inexperienced leafy vegetation reminiscent of lettuce and spinach flourishing in an 8,000 square-feet house. Each month, he harvests as much as 800 kg of leafy vegetables, reaching 5 occasions the yield in comparison to standard farming whilst the usage of fewer sources.
This was once imaginable because of the safe cultivation machine of hydroponics the place vegetation are grown with out soil!
“There are lots of soil borne sicknesses reminiscent of fungal and bacterial infections that impact crop yield. You can’t do away with microorganisms and parasites like nematodes from the soil. So, I considered getting rid of soil itself as a medium altogether. I grew to become to hydroponics, which gets rid of this fear,” he explains.
Pritpal now grows unique leafy vegetables reminiscent of Italian basil, child spinach, 3 to 4 sorts of lettuces, vine vegetation like crimson and yellow capsicum and seedless cucumbers.
He grows those vegetation in 2.5 acres of land comprising more than one kinds of safe setting constructions, together with an indoor vertical farm, a temperature-controlled polyhouse, a naturally-ventilated polyhouse, and indoor and out of doors hydroponics setups.
The Higher India sat down with Pritpal to grasp his transfer from conventional open subject cultivation to safe farming tactics.
Rising vegetation the brand new means
After researching, Pritpal got here to learn about safe cultivation and greenhouse farming. In 2016, he began cultivating unique plants and greens like seedless cucumbers.
Quickly, he was once additionally offered to the hydroponics approach of cultivation. Speaking about its benefits, he says, “Hydroponics permits us to develop leafy vegetables in the neighborhood in a temperature-controlled setting all yr spherical. It provides you with extra keep watch over over the rising phase.”
He is going on to give an explanation for how this technique additionally saves 90 p.c water in comparison to open-field farming because it assists in keeping circulating it throughout the setup. This makes the entire methodology a sustainable means of rising meals.
“It additionally reduces nutrient prices, as we simplest upload the fitting quantity wanted for plant enlargement, in contrast to in open-field farming the place wide amounts of fertilisers are used with out keep watch over,” he provides.
Pritpal says that he invested Rs 60 lakh in putting in place the entire machine on a 2.5 acre farm. “However that is just a one-time funding, yielding ordinary advantages right through the yr,” he provides.
These days, he grows leafy vegetables hydroponically and harvests as much as 800 kg of produce each month. “In leafy vegetables, the yield is nearly 5 occasions higher in comparison to conventional land-based farming. That’s the wonderful thing about hydroponics,” he stocks.
Pritpal additionally grows bell peppers and seedless cucumbers in a naturally-ventilated polyhouse spanning throughout 1.5 acres. Once a year, he harvests as much as 90 tonnes of seedless cucumbers and as much as 30 tonnes of bell peppers. “I am getting a 30 p.c larger go back on this setup,” he provides.
‘There was once no plan B’
Total, Pritpal says his annual source of revenue has higher by way of as much as 1.5 occasions with vine vegetation and 5 occasions with leafy vegetables in comparison to conventional soil-based farming.
A 2023 analysis mentions hydroponic farming has the possible to “revolutionise agriculture and meals manufacturing”. It may be used for rising quite a lot of plant species, together with leafy vegetables, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, and plants. It supplies exact keep watch over over nutrient supply and environmental prerequisites, resulting in higher crop yields and higher-quality produce.
However this fulfillment was once no longer simple.
“It hasn’t in any respect been a cakewalk for me. I’ve been on this house for nearly 8 years now and feature confronted more than one demanding situations,” he says.
Pritpal says that even if hydroponics farming has received immense momentum within the remaining couple of years, it was once difficult for him to put in a right kind setup with no need the technical technology.
“I employed an organization from Mumbai to arrange the hydroponics farm. The corporate lacked good enough wisdom and couldn’t actually lend a hand with the rising phase. I realised they made false claims,” he says.
So, whilst the setup was once able, Pritpal couldn’t develop anything else for the preliminary 4 months. “I needed to take a step again. However I stored on telling myself that there’s no plan B and I’ve to try this. I began researching on each parameter of the farm and started adjusting them separately,” he says.
“As an example, they didn’t use the fitting high quality of LED develop lighting fixtures, and the wavelength was once no longer appropriate for the expansion of the vegetation. I realized about those sides the arduous means and began making appropriate adjustments,” he provides.
Progressively, Pritpal additionally included solar energy to carry down the operational prices by way of 80 p.c. He put in sun panels of 15 KW capability to run the hydroponics arrange.
Pritpal issues out that farmers can’t simply copy-paste the hydroponics setups of Western international locations.
“We additionally wish to believe other climatic prerequisites of more than a few states within the nation. In Chandigarh, we’re required to care for a temperature between 20 and 26 levels and humidity of 60 to 65 p.c. Those parameters may also be other for Kashmir. We wish to first analyse the geography, local weather, and climate prerequisites, and accordingly design and arrange the farm,” he provides.
In 2020, Pritpal additionally began Farmcult, a bootstrapped Agritech startup offering end-to-end answers for individuals who wish to input the sector of hydroponics.
Farmcult recently operates below two industry fashions:
1: Turnkey Tasks and Consulting: Farmcult designs and units up fashionable hydroponic farms, customised in line with the geographical location and the crop to be cultivated. They no longer simplest arrange the farms, but additionally strengthen their purchasers for no less than six months, making sure they’re happy with each side of the hydroponics industry. Farmcult additionally is helping identify marketplace linkages for the vegetation being cultivated.
2. Passive Source of revenue Fashion: For purchasers who intend to begin a large-scale hydroponics industry however lack the bandwidth to control the farms, Farmcult gives complete strengthen. They no longer simplest lend a hand arrange the farm but additionally set up day-to-day operations, proper from germination to harvesting and marketplace linkages. Farmcult stocks quarterly returns with purchasers who’ve invested within the farm. Pritpal says that they’re recently seeing a large number of pastime in other folks for this style.
Farmcult additionally supplies workshops and coaching to the group about the advantages of hydroponic farming, together with sustainability, water potency, and chemical-free produce. They have got educated greater than 100 other folks within the remaining 3 months.
Udit Bhatia, who educated below Pritpal remaining April, tells The Higher India, “Somebody can practise hydroponics farming. It is extremely helpful for vegetation like lettuce, the place the expansion cycle reduces from 90 to 40 days.”
“Formal coaching turns into very important in hydroponics to get most yield and go back on funding. I realized learn how to care for water temperature and keep watch over humidity ranges. It is usually very important to test for fungus assaults as they are able to temporarily unfold right through the farm because of the shared water supply. The use of chillers can cut back temperatures to twenty levels and minimise fungal assaults,” he provides.
Pritpal aspires to inspire extra other folks to undertake hydroponics no longer simply as a substitute cultivation methodology however as a successful and sustainable industry mission because it has the possible to fulfill the emerging meals calls for in towns and cope with reducing agricultural lands whilst supplementing larger earning.
“With this technique, we will be able to reach larger yields in smaller spaces and likewise spice up our earning,” he says.
Reflecting on his luck, Pritpal says, “I’ve heard concerning the youngsters of docs and attorneys following the similar professions, however I consider that that mindset is missing in farming. I sought after to modify this idea procedure.”
“If agriculture and allied products and services are to stay the bedrock of the country’s economic system, we wish to lead them to extra successful. Running on this house and changing into a a success farmer has been a dream come true. In my view, this whole revel in has additionally made me extra continual and disciplined. Having a look at my farm now, I believe content material,” he provides.
Supply: Analysis on hydroponics farming: By means of Shrestha Sanchaya, Ms Saritha S R, Mr Bhaskar A, Tesfaye Leul, Thapa Anushri, Agrawal Subham, Jaju Anish for World Magazine of Analysis E-newsletter and Critiques, printed in April, 2023.
Edited by way of Khushi Arora. All footage: Pritpal Singh.