Hydroponics vs Soil: An in-Depth Assessment of Morpho-physiological Traits in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Abstract

Background: Making the switch from traditional soil farming to hydroponics is essential in modern agriculture to maximize resource utilization, guarantee food security and address environmental challenges. In addition to encouraging water conservation and offering exact control over nutrient distribution, hydroponics also holds the potential to increase agricultural production. In contrast, soil-based agriculture is a tried-and-true farming technique that depends on naturally occurring minerals. Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate the morpho-physiological response of spinach in hydroponics and in soil during the winter season of 2022. In NFT hydroponics plants were planted using potting mix as a growing media. Hydroponically grown spinach was compared with the traditional grown spinach. Result: Spinach grown hydroponically exhibited superior leaf characteristics, including a larger leaf area, longer and broader leaves and a higher leaf count per plant. Additionally, hydroponic plants demonstrated enhanced growth traits, such as greater height, longer roots and thicker petioles. Notably, hydroponically grown spinach contained significantly more chlorophyll, indicating improved photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, both hydroponically and soil-grown spinach showed similar levels of nitrogen accumulation, suggesting that hydroponics can effectively support nutrient uptake comparable to conventional methods.