Agricultural Reviews
  • Year: 2020
  • Volume: 41
  • Issue: 2

Memoir and farming structures under soil-less culture (hydroponic farming) and the applicability for Africa: A review

  • Author:
  • S. Gumisiriza Margaret, A. Ndakidemi Patrick, R. Mbega Ernest
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 139 to 145

School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology. P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania

*Corresponding Author: Margaret. S. Gumisiriza, School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology. P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania, Email: m5gundas@gmail.com

Online published on 20 July, 2020.

Abstract

Agriculture is the economic back-borne of majority of developing countries worldwide. The sector employs over 50% of the working population and contributes about 33% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in majority of African states. However, such contribution by the agricultural sector is likely to be affected by climate change, increasing human population and urbanization which impact on available agricultural land in various ways. There is thus an urgent need for developing countries to create or adopt technologies such as; soil-less farming that will not only address climate change challenges but also enhance crop production for improved food security. This paper reviews the science, origin, dynamics and farming systems under the soil-less agriculture precisely hydroponic farming to assist in widening the scope of knowledge of the hydroponic technologies and their implementation in Africa.

Keywords

Hydro culture, Hydroponic lighting conditions, Hydroponic nutrients, Types of hydroponic farming