SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-FRIENDLY VEGETABLE PRODUCTION THROUGH HYDROPONICS

The research work was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during July 2015 to June 2016 to the organic substrates as a growing media instead of soil on some vegetable crops especially capsicum, lettuce and cabbage. Coco dust based substrate significantly increased the plant height (47.80 cm), number of leaves (46.39), number of flower plant^-1 (26.99), number of fruit plant^-1 (6.35), individual fruit weight (84.15 g), and yield plant-1 (532.15 g) of capsicum compare to sawdust and rice husk based substrate. In case of lettuce, coco dust based substrate increased the plant height (13.14 cm) and fresh weight of leaves (161.16 g) while sawdust and rice husk based substrate was statistically similar. On the other hand, the maximum plant height and thickness of head of cabbage was recorded with the growing media based on coco dust while it was minimum sawdust and rice husk based substrate. In case of cabbage, coco dust based substrate increased number of leaves (22.01), fresh weight of head (0.83 g), head diameter of head (18.54 cm), and dry matter content of 100 g fresh head (8.48 g) while sawdust and rice husk based substrate was statistically similar. On the other hand, the maximum plant height (29.12 cm) and thickness of head (10.34 cm) of cabbage was recorded with the growing media based on coco dust while it was minimum sawdust and rice husk based substrate.