Soilless cultivation refers to a cultivation technique that uses substrates, water, and nutrient solutions containing essential elements for plant growth and development to provide nutrients without using natural soil, so that plants can complete the entire life cycle normally. At present, the United States has listed soilless culture as one of the top ten high-tech developments in the country. In Japan, soilless culture technology has also been used by many scientists as a powerful means to study "cosmic farms".

Undoubtedly, soilless cultivation technology has a wide range of advantages, which can not only effectively prevent soil continuous cropping obstacles and soil-borne diseases; improve crop yield and quality; save water, fertilizer, and labor, but also greatly expand agricultural production space and make crops Can not rely on soil for production. However, in the promotion process, the separation from the soil also brings corresponding problems, restricting the industrial development of soilless culture technology. Many people have some doubts about whether the soilless culture model is profitable, and adopt the wait-and-see mode! Let’s analyze, can the soilless cultivation model be profitable?

Reasons that restrict the profitability of soilless cultivation

1. Lack of buffer, once the victim is injured, the loss will be serious
That is, it can automatically adjust its acidity, alkalinity, trace element and various nutrient concentrations, microbial community distribution and other necessary elements for cultivated plants according to the external situation. And the cultivation base of soilless culture is completely artificially adjusted, and a single defect will immediately impact the normal growth of the plant, causing plant disease or death.

2. The initial investment is too large 

Soilless cultivation needs to be implemented in a smart greenhouse. All facilities such as the pre-construction greenhouse, soilless cultivation facilities, water and fertilizer integration system must be pre-purchased and constructed. All heating, cooling, ventilation, aeration, oxygenation, and destruction Insects, sterilization and other equipment must be operating normally and fully controlled. These are very expensive and consume a lot of energy to run. 

3. High nutrient solution requirements

For soilless culture technology, nutrient solution is the only way for plants to obtain nutrients. Different plants have different requirements for the environment in different seasons and different growth stages, and their nutritional requirements will be very different. This needs to be very clear in advance about the growth law of the plant, and every link must not be deviated. Once it makes a mistake, it will be wiped out. Especially the reproduction of microorganisms. Once a microorganism is suitable for growth in the nutrient solution, it will multiply in an explosive manner until the original ecological balance is completely destroyed, causing all-out plant disease and death.

4. Management is complicated and cumbersome

General field management advocates fine management, and soilless cultivation is "super fine management". There is no big or small matter, and every link must be scientific and accurate. This is too demanding for ordinary agricultural practitioners.