Advantages and Application Scope of Soilless Cultivation

Advantages of Soilless Cultivation

(1) High Yield, Good Quality, and Great Economic Benefits

High yield, good quality, and significant economic benefits are the most prominent advantages of soilless cultivation technology.

Soilless cultivation creates an extremely favorable growth environment for crop roots. Roots are not only the supporting organs of plants but also the organs responsible for absorbing mineral nutrients and water, as well as synthesizing certain organic substances. Well-developed roots can supply sufficient water and nutrients to the above-ground parts of plants, forming the foundation for high crop yields (as the saying goes, “deep roots lead to lush leaves”).

By scientifically regulating the supply of water, air, and nutrients, soilless cultivation effectively resolves the contradiction between water and oxygen commonly found in soil cultivation. This coordinated growth environment fully unlocks the growth potential of crops, resulting in significantly increased yields.

According to Japanese research data, the yield of rice under soilless cultivation is 3–5 times higher than that of soil cultivation, while vegetable yields are 3–10 times higher.

Table 1-2. Yield Comparison Between Soil Cultivation and Soilless Cultivation

^① 1 mu ≈ 666.7 m²

The yield gap varies by crop. Tomatoes show the largest increase (12–30 times), followed by potatoes and peas. At present, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and other vegetables are the most widely cultivated crops in soilless systems.

With growing awareness of environmental protection and food safety, issues such as soil pollution from microorganisms, pesticides, and air contaminants have gained increasing attention. Soilless cultivation avoids these risks and enables the production of pollution-free, high-quality vegetables.

Research conducted by the Soilless Cultivation Research Group of Liaoning Province shows that:

• Leafy vegetables grown without soil grow faster, have darker leaf color, thicker mesophyll, and lower fiber content.

• Solanaceous vegetables bloom earlier, bear more fruits, and have better fruit shape and appearance.

For example, soilless-cultivated tomatoes show:

• 280% higher soluble solids

• Vitamin C content increased from 18 mg/100 g to 35 mg/100 g

• Slight increase in vitamin A

• Significant improvement in mineral content

Table 1-3. Mineral Element Content of Fresh Tomatoes

(Percentage of Fresh Weight)

Combined with bright color and excellent taste, soilless-grown vegetables are highly favored by consumers.

(2) High Utilization Efficiency of Water and Nutrients

In traditional soil cultivation, most irrigation water is lost through evaporation, runoff, and leaching, with only a small fraction absorbed by plants.

An experiment conducted in Italy showed that, on a 4 m² area, soil-grown tomatoes consumed more than twice the water of soilless-grown tomatoes. Similar trials in a sunlight greenhouse in Hongqu District, Shenyang, demonstrated that soilless cultivation saved 90 kg of water per square meter compared with soil cultivation.

Soilless cultivation delivers water and nutrients precisely through nutrient solutions, significantly reducing waste. Overall:

• Water consumption is only 1/10–1/4 of soil cultivation

• Water savings typically reach around 70%

• Fertilizer utilization efficiency can exceed 90%

Table 1-4. Tomato Yield and Water Consumption Under Different Cultivation Methods

In contrast, global fertilizer utilization in soil cultivation is only about 50%, and in China it is even lower (30–40%). Soilless cultivation dramatically reduces nutrient loss, lowering production costs and environmental impact.

(3) Labor, Time, and Land Savings

Soilless cultivation eliminates the need for plowing, intertillage, and most weeding operations. Combined with computer control and intelligent management systems, it enables:

• Mechanized and automated production

• Higher labor efficiency

• Reduced manpower and time input

Due to significantly higher yields, the required planting area is reduced, resulting in improved land-use efficiency.

(4) Reduced Pests and Diseases and Lower Pesticide Costs

Continuous soil cultivation often leads to:

• Soil-borne pests and diseases

• Salinization and acidification

• Nutrient imbalance

• Autotoxicity from root exudates

Traditional solutions such as soil replacement and disinfection are costly, labor-intensive, and often ineffective. Excessive pesticide and fertilizer use further increases costs and environmental pollution.

Soilless cultivation is typically carried out in controlled facilities, creating a cleaner and relatively sterile environment. This effectively blocks soil pathogens and reduces pest pressure. Crops grow more vigorously and have stronger resistance, so:

• Little or no pesticide is required

• Products are cleaner and safer

• Continuous cropping obstacles are fundamentally avoided

After each harvest, new crops can be planted following simple system cleaning and disinfection.

(5) Suitable for Factory-Style and Modern Agricultural Production

By integrating with advanced horticultural facilities, soilless cultivation frees agriculture from natural environmental constraints and enables fully controllable production. This supports:

• Agricultural mechanization

• Automation

• Industrial-scale production

Many countries—including Austria, the Netherlands, Russia, the United States, Japan, Israel, Germany, and Canada—have established plant factories, representing modern agricultural development.

Since the 1990s, China has also widely adopted modern greenhouses and soilless cultivation technologies, such as:

• Soilless rose cultivation at Zhongyi Demonstration Farm (Beijing)

• Soilless cucumbers and sweet peppers at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Modern Agriculture Company

• Year-round factory production of Boston lettuce using deep-flow floating hydroponics introduced from Canada

These practices have significantly accelerated the modernization of China’s agriculture.

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