In the buzz of all that banter on harmful additives into agricultural produce, lies the question why not grow your own food? Space constraints? Think balcony, think terrace.
Please give us a brief introduction about the current agricultural activities you are pursuing.
I am a software engineer working with an IT company. I have many hobbies and hydroponics is one of them. In fact, I am particularly passionate about hydroponics. I got introduced to hydroponics through my father who used to be working for a steel plant. Once, he brought us a book on hydroponics and from then on we started doing some experiments on hydroponics. My father and I was so intrigued that we began growing our plants on stands because at that point in time, it was difficult to source cocoa peat as a product. We used to have fun doing our planting and it was very fulfilling. After leaving home, for studies, I was pretty much cut off from hydroponics. About 3 years back I started my stint with hydroponics again because of my child. He is around 8 years old now. Years ago we had difficulty getting good quality vegetables in the market. That is when I recalled my experiments with hydroponics. When I discussed my thoughts with my father, he advised that the techniques etc. were totally different currently. But he did concur that we could start our own hydroponics farm to grow our own food. That is how it all started. That is about my journey into hydroponics.
So it was a hobby for you and it still is, am I correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Are you able to sustain on the produce that you grow? Does it fulfil the needs of the family?
Honestly, my main aim was to grow at least 20% of the food we eat, at home. I don't have a land of my own. I only have a 10X10 balcony. I wanted to try growing 20% of my food in my balcony. I personally think that is an achievable target. I am yet to get there though. Currently, I get my tomatoes, my lemons, etc.
To get to the 20% produce, what obstacles do you foresee?
Since this method doesn't employ soil, we need to get the nutrients, which was previously very difficult to source. At the beginning when hydroponics was in play, there was no site where we used to get good nutrients. Today, there are multiple companies dealing with the required nutrients, on Amazon. Some people employ automation to ensure the right amount of water flow etc. I do not do all that. I have a static system. I am not ready to use electricity to sustain my hydroponic unit. That pushes up the cost. But I will get into automation in time.
How much time do you spend on these plants?
I mostly work on it over the weekends and try to do it every evening for half an hour if I get the time. But weekends I have dedicated time.
Can you give us an idea of the monetary investment that has gone into this?
The balcony system doesn't cost much. Approximately Rs 1000/- per month is more than sufficient to keep it going. You can buy the planters and sometimes we make them at home as well with old baskets and other throw away things like plastic bowls etc. Even if you decide to buy these planters from the market, it is not a very costly affair. The nutrients are also not very costly. You get a litre of nutrients at around Rs 700/-.
What all are you growing at present? Have you measured your per month output?
I am growing tulsi, tomatoes, spinach, black Bengal gram, curry leaves, etc. I get enough for consumption at home.
Right now the system is a little unstable because of the heavy rains; the nutrients get diluted in the balcony due to the heavy rains.
Do you coach others about hydroponics as well, Mr Rudrarup?
I see that everybody into organic systems are interested in hydroponics. Most people who are into home gardening come to seek coaching. Some commercially oriented people also have approached me; but, I don't entertain them because I don't have the data for such projects. The basic system that we try is cutting out plastic bottles and using them as planters. The people who take away the lessons replicate it in the way they like. Mostly people grow mustard because it shoots up and surfaces quickly. People have experimented with all kinds of produce.
Do you not have interest in commercializing this hobby?
I am working on certain systems - not huge ones - but those that can be a make do for small-time commercial set ups. People can take them home and use it as it is. I have good feedback on the systems. So yes, that kind of things I would like to commercialize.
Hydroponics has become quite a big venture mostly in the USA. Now it has made its way into India; esp., Pune, Bangalore and Mumbai. There are many kinds of vegetables - ornamentals and otherwise - being grown. It is a methodology that can be used to grow anything.
Hydroponics is absolutely wonderful to grow your greens. Upon flowering you just need to add another component which is available in Amazon and in the open market.
Since hydroponics doesn’t employ soil, how is the taste of the produce? Does it taste different due to the change in methodology?
Yes, the taste is a little different. But we can work around that – the taste can be maintained. I have tried seaweed extracts (available online). We have to add it once a week in minimal amounts and you get the same output as that from the soil. I got this technique from a lady who gave a TED talk on hydroponics and it works!
That is good to know.
Honestly, we do not know about every nutrient that is contained in the soil. We perhaps have access to about 90% of the information. We are yet to learn more about the nutrients that the soil has to offer.
It is nice that you are doing this to ensure you grow your own food. Do you think, on a commercial level, Hydroponics makes sense?
Honestly, it is a very good venture. The methodology is very good in terms of growth rate. The rate at which plants grow is spectacular. When compared to traditional methods, you get your yield in 50% of the time it takes in a conventional set up. Also, We don’t use insecticides or pesticides. A plant that takes around 3 months to grow, we get 4 lifecycles in a year. But if it grows in 1/3rd of the time, you get 12 lifecycles in a year. That is 12 harvests in a year. Yes, the place will also matter. But this is the basic formula. The issue is in marketing of the product, at a commercial level. Some distributors don't accept this produce. So, you have to take the time to find a distributor who understands hydroponics and is willing to strike a deal with you. Also, the crop and the methodology is a little costlier than traditional crops. So the value of the crop must be diligently explained.
Certain plants need exposure to LED lights during certain times of the day, right? Are there consequences to not doing that or altering the time?
Personally, I won't change the time needed to expose the plants to LEDs lights. Some people don't follow this. Yet, they get a good harvest. But the next generation plants won’t fetch results. There is a dilemma there and people are working towards bringing in clarity.
Mr Rudrarup, earlier on you had mentioned that you are looking into some systems that you look forward to commercialize. Can you elaborate on those plans?
I need to first collect data. We do workshops on Hydroponics Basics, in Pune. I started this last year. From these workshops I have collected information about a few people who were interested in this further. Around 1 month back I have started working on the PVC tubes used for the water systems that are available in the market. I have made a sub irrigation system where in you have a tub of water below and you grow the plants in the baskets. Some people have taken these systems home. I am collecting data from them, to understand how these systems are working. Personally, if I just grow these myself, I won't have substantial data to work with. Once I get substantial feedback, I will venture into creating 3-tier/4-tier systems that people can take back home, assemble and try out. This is my plan. I will definitely get into automated systems in the future. Plus it is not sustainable if people have to manually check everything every day. I am working on micro controllers that can assist these systems. I am sure in the near future, something will come out.
Has there been other sources of information about Hydroponics or have you met people or organizations that has benefited you?
Yes, I haven't ventured out of Pune to meet people. In Pune, there is an Abhinav Farmers' Club who are into purely organic farming. They have this closed roof system. They have cattle; they feed their cattle using their own produce and the cow dung is used as an organic fertilizer. They use the hydroponic system with drip irrigation. They grow strawberries, coriander and many other things. I started getting some data from there about how we can grow things in a larger scale. I have connected many people with Abhinav Farms when they query about doing it large. In the balcony systems you can grow at the max 2-4 tomato plants. But, if in a society, everybody can grow one or the other crop. With meticulous planning, you can make available all the vegetables you need within your society itself. You can barter and cover each other's needs. This way, leaving the society for grocery shopping will become a rarity.
Contact : Rudrarup Mitra
Mobile: 9881378090
E-Mail: rudrarup.mitra@gmail.com
Please give us a brief introduction about the current agricultural activities you are pursuing.
I am a software engineer working with an IT company. I have many hobbies and hydroponics is one of them. In fact, I am particularly passionate about hydroponics. I got introduced to hydroponics through my father who used to be working for a steel plant. Once, he brought us a book on hydroponics and from then on we started doing some experiments on hydroponics. My father and I was so intrigued that we began growing our plants on stands because at that point in time, it was difficult to source cocoa peat as a product. We used to have fun doing our planting and it was very fulfilling. After leaving home, for studies, I was pretty much cut off from hydroponics. About 3 years back I started my stint with hydroponics again because of my child. He is around 8 years old now. Years ago we had difficulty getting good quality vegetables in the market. That is when I recalled my experiments with hydroponics. When I discussed my thoughts with my father, he advised that the techniques etc. were totally different currently. But he did concur that we could start our own hydroponics farm to grow our own food. That is how it all started. That is about my journey into hydroponics.
So it was a hobby for you and it still is, am I correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Are you able to sustain on the produce that you grow? Does it fulfil the needs of the family?
Honestly, my main aim was to grow at least 20% of the food we eat, at home. I don't have a land of my own. I only have a 10X10 balcony. I wanted to try growing 20% of my food in my balcony. I personally think that is an achievable target. I am yet to get there though. Currently, I get my tomatoes, my lemons, etc.
To get to the 20% produce, what obstacles do you foresee?
Since this method doesn't employ soil, we need to get the nutrients, which was previously very difficult to source. At the beginning when hydroponics was in play, there was no site where we used to get good nutrients. Today, there are multiple companies dealing with the required nutrients, on Amazon. Some people employ automation to ensure the right amount of water flow etc. I do not do all that. I have a static system. I am not ready to use electricity to sustain my hydroponic unit. That pushes up the cost. But I will get into automation in time.
How much time do you spend on these plants?
I mostly work on it over the weekends and try to do it every evening for half an hour if I get the time. But weekends I have dedicated time.
Can you give us an idea of the monetary investment that has gone into this?
The balcony system doesn't cost much. Approximately Rs 1000/- per month is more than sufficient to keep it going. You can buy the planters and sometimes we make them at home as well with old baskets and other throw away things like plastic bowls etc. Even if you decide to buy these planters from the market, it is not a very costly affair. The nutrients are also not very costly. You get a litre of nutrients at around Rs 700/-.
What all are you growing at present? Have you measured your per month output?
I am growing tulsi, tomatoes, spinach, black Bengal gram, curry leaves, etc. I get enough for consumption at home.
Right now the system is a little unstable because of the heavy rains; the nutrients get diluted in the balcony due to the heavy rains.
Do you coach others about hydroponics as well, Mr Rudrarup?
I see that everybody into organic systems are interested in hydroponics. Most people who are into home gardening come to seek coaching. Some commercially oriented people also have approached me; but, I don't entertain them because I don't have the data for such projects. The basic system that we try is cutting out plastic bottles and using them as planters. The people who take away the lessons replicate it in the way they like. Mostly people grow mustard because it shoots up and surfaces quickly. People have experimented with all kinds of produce.
Do you not have interest in commercializing this hobby?
I am working on certain systems - not huge ones - but those that can be a make do for small-time commercial set ups. People can take them home and use it as it is. I have good feedback on the systems. So yes, that kind of things I would like to commercialize.
Hydroponics has become quite a big venture mostly in the USA. Now it has made its way into India; esp., Pune, Bangalore and Mumbai. There are many kinds of vegetables - ornamentals and otherwise - being grown. It is a methodology that can be used to grow anything.
Hydroponics is absolutely wonderful to grow your greens. Upon flowering you just need to add another component which is available in Amazon and in the open market.
Since hydroponics doesn’t employ soil, how is the taste of the produce? Does it taste different due to the change in methodology?
Yes, the taste is a little different. But we can work around that – the taste can be maintained. I have tried seaweed extracts (available online). We have to add it once a week in minimal amounts and you get the same output as that from the soil. I got this technique from a lady who gave a TED talk on hydroponics and it works!
That is good to know.
Honestly, we do not know about every nutrient that is contained in the soil. We perhaps have access to about 90% of the information. We are yet to learn more about the nutrients that the soil has to offer.
It is nice that you are doing this to ensure you grow your own food. Do you think, on a commercial level, Hydroponics makes sense?
Honestly, it is a very good venture. The methodology is very good in terms of growth rate. The rate at which plants grow is spectacular. When compared to traditional methods, you get your yield in 50% of the time it takes in a conventional set up. Also, We don’t use insecticides or pesticides. A plant that takes around 3 months to grow, we get 4 lifecycles in a year. But if it grows in 1/3rd of the time, you get 12 lifecycles in a year. That is 12 harvests in a year. Yes, the place will also matter. But this is the basic formula. The issue is in marketing of the product, at a commercial level. Some distributors don't accept this produce. So, you have to take the time to find a distributor who understands hydroponics and is willing to strike a deal with you. Also, the crop and the methodology is a little costlier than traditional crops. So the value of the crop must be diligently explained.
Certain plants need exposure to LED lights during certain times of the day, right? Are there consequences to not doing that or altering the time?
Personally, I won't change the time needed to expose the plants to LEDs lights. Some people don't follow this. Yet, they get a good harvest. But the next generation plants won’t fetch results. There is a dilemma there and people are working towards bringing in clarity.
Mr Rudrarup, earlier on you had mentioned that you are looking into some systems that you look forward to commercialize. Can you elaborate on those plans?
I need to first collect data. We do workshops on Hydroponics Basics, in Pune. I started this last year. From these workshops I have collected information about a few people who were interested in this further. Around 1 month back I have started working on the PVC tubes used for the water systems that are available in the market. I have made a sub irrigation system where in you have a tub of water below and you grow the plants in the baskets. Some people have taken these systems home. I am collecting data from them, to understand how these systems are working. Personally, if I just grow these myself, I won't have substantial data to work with. Once I get substantial feedback, I will venture into creating 3-tier/4-tier systems that people can take back home, assemble and try out. This is my plan. I will definitely get into automated systems in the future. Plus it is not sustainable if people have to manually check everything every day. I am working on micro controllers that can assist these systems. I am sure in the near future, something will come out.
Has there been other sources of information about Hydroponics or have you met people or organizations that has benefited you?
Yes, I haven't ventured out of Pune to meet people. In Pune, there is an Abhinav Farmers' Club who are into purely organic farming. They have this closed roof system. They have cattle; they feed their cattle using their own produce and the cow dung is used as an organic fertilizer. They use the hydroponic system with drip irrigation. They grow strawberries, coriander and many other things. I started getting some data from there about how we can grow things in a larger scale. I have connected many people with Abhinav Farms when they query about doing it large. In the balcony systems you can grow at the max 2-4 tomato plants. But, if in a society, everybody can grow one or the other crop. With meticulous planning, you can make available all the vegetables you need within your society itself. You can barter and cover each other's needs. This way, leaving the society for grocery shopping will become a rarity.
Contact : Rudrarup Mitra
Mobile: 9881378090
E-Mail: rudrarup.mitra@gmail.com