These days , even perennial fruits are commercially grown hydroponically. In hydroponics, nutrient solution carrying all essential nutrient in tailor made combination is effectively used...
According to an experiment conducted by a PhD student in our department on Cucumber(Cucumis sativus ) results say yes, this experiment gave interesting results in this issue .
This is through preparation of balanced nutrients prepared from buffer stock solution for crops grown in hydroponics but the operators must be careful of nutrient dilution factor and the rate of uptake by crops. In addition, it is too technical and expensive for poor resource based farmers in the tropics and there is need for further research in hydroponics and capacity building for farmers
Even for plants grown on soil, active uptake is against concentration gradient, indicating that the nutrients are in solution. So the culture solution is prepared to include all required nutrients needed by the plant. The crops therefore obtain nutrients from the culture or nutrient solution used in hydroponics.
Depending upon the specific requirement of a crop/variety, the solutions shall be prepared by adding appropriate ratio of all major and minor elements for any type of hydroponics. Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, the method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Terrestrial plants may be grown with only their roots exposed to the mineral solution, or the roots may be supported by an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel. Essentially, a Hydroponic nutrient solution is a liquid filled with all of the necessarynutrients so that plant roots can come into contact for its growth.
Hydroponic Fruits: Technically, any fruit can be grown using a hydroponic system, but some varieties grow better in hydroponic conditions than others. For example, fruits that thrive in wet conditions -- such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes and raspberries -- often do well in a hydroponic environment. Certain picky fruits like blueberries, which require very acidic soil conditions, are better grown in hydroponic systems, since pH levels and nutrient content are easier to control in a hydroponic setting. In hydropnic culture , maintaining soil pH and its EC are two very critical factors to ensure regular uninterupted supply of nutrients...
Soil-Grown Fruits : All fruits can be grown in soil, as long as certain conditions are met. Unfortunately, certain soil conditions can be a bit harder to control in a traditional garden than in a hydroponic garden. For example, blueberries are virtually impossible to grow in soils with alkaline pH. Regardless of the amount of soil amendments you add to the soil, it's very hard to convert soil pH of 8.0 to a pH of 5.0, which is most suitable for blueberries. Soil test -crop response -based recommendation always operates so well...