Soil as a reference is very complex and need to be simplified for experimental purposes. What could be a true substitute for this soil medium.
Very valid point Dr Senapati . I dont think , there is any substitute to soil , considering all complexities involved in unraveling the adsorption and exchange chemistry , associated with soil fertility dynamics and plant nutrition . Another reason , i strongly feel , our commercial crop growing medium is undoubtedly soil , studying crops behavior without soil , will again put the agriculture practitioners in some state of dilemma about dos and donts...However, for experimental purpose , we can ease out the complexities ...
Very valid point Dr Senapati . I dont think , there is any substitute to soil , considering all complexities involved in unraveling the adsorption and exchange chemistry , associated with soil fertility dynamics and plant nutrition . Another reason , i strongly feel , our commercial crop growing medium is undoubtedly soil , studying crops behavior without soil , will again put the agriculture practitioners in some state of dilemma about dos and donts...However, for experimental purpose , we can ease out the complexities ...
Let me add some interesting facts concerning the question , you have raised Dr Senapati. In most of the perennial fruit crops, usually we wait for micronutrient deficiency symptoms to appear , before applying micronutrients , preferably through foliar application. And , these nutrient deficiency symptoms , once worked out under sand culture or hydroponics, they hardly help in identifying the correct nutrient deficiency symptoms in field , with the result , we hardly get the crop response , erroneous diagnosis of nutrient deficiency . ..So though , there could some substitute of soil for even experiment purpose , but they hardly apply in field , where soil is a part of it, as a growing medium for plants...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- References