ADVANCEMENTS IN HYDROPONIC AND SOIL-LESS CULTIVATION OF HIGH-VALUE SPICE CROPS

Abstract

With the rising demand for sustainable agricultural practices and quality spice production, there has been a surge in the interest of hydroponic and soilless culture technologies. The cultivation of traditional spices is plagued with many problems such as soil degradation, scarcity of water, climate variability, occurrence of pests and diseases, and loss of land area suitable for their cultivation. Hydroponics provides a potential alternative that allows for precise nutrient supply, water use, environmental management and crop management. The present review presents a detailed account of the evolution, principles and the recent developments in hydroponic/soilless culture of high value spice crops. Different types of hydroponic systems such as Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Deep Water Culture (DWC), Ebb and Flow, Aeroponics, Wick Systems and Drip Irrigation are explained and their operational characteristics, advantages, limitations and suitability for spice crop production are discussed. The review focuses on the research findings on some significant crop species like black pepper, saffron, turmeric, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, coriander, celery, parsley with the emphasis on the growth, yield, nutrient uptake, essential oil content and accumulation of bioactive compounds under controlled cultivation conditions. In addition, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), sensor-based monitoring and automation, artificial intelligence, and vertical farming has dramatically improved production efficiency and resource utilization. While the potential benefits are significant, there are several challenges to consider, such as nutrient management, energy use, economic viability, and system complexity. The integration into renewable energy, optimizing nutrient use for specific crops, the use of smart cultivation techniques, and the development of sustainable production systems are all areas of future research that will further boost the importance of hydroponics in climate-smart agriculture and high value spice crop production.