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Ever heard of food that wasn’t grown in soil? This Mumbaikar shows how!
What Is It?
Vijay Yelmalle, a 42-year-old agriculturist, set up an alternative farming method that does not require soil. His terrace in Navi Mumbai served as the location for his venture which soon developed into a huge success, enabling him to shift the micro-farm to Raigad, on a 15-acre piece of land! He also teaches people so that they can follow in his footsteps!
So what’s the secret behind growing crops without soil? Hydroponics. It is a sustainable and soil-less mode of farming, using pipes that deliver the necessary nutrients directly to all the plants. Plus, it takes 90 per cent less water! Isn’t that great?
But the entire procedure requires a careful calibration of the exact amount of nutrients to be given to the plants and equipment for performing these tests, which makes this method expensive and thus many marginal and small farmers could not adopt it.
Vijay Yelmalle did not let that stop him! He went on to create RuralIDEA.
What’s In It?
RuralIDEA is a social venture that combines Hydroponics with Aquaponics, which is raising fish and obtaining nitrates from fish waste which will feed the plants, under one roof. It helps cut costs and make the sustainable procedure in the reach of every farmer!
Moreover, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IAR) and Indian Council For Agricultural Research (ICAR) selected RuralIDEA for extensive incubation.
Here’s to soil-less and cost-cutting farming!