A groundbreaking hydroponics research project going on at Government Holkar Science College, Indore, is redefining the future of farming by growing crops indoors without soil or sunlight, and with just a fraction of the water.
Using special indoor methods called hydroponics and aeroponics, the college has grown vegetables and medicinal plants by giving their roots a mix of water and nutrients, either through flowing water or fine mist.
Started in 2022 as a small experiment inside a classroom, this ongoing project won Second Prize at SRIJAN 2025 and the Young Scientist Award at the 40th MPCST Conference. The team included research guide Dr Sanjeeda Iqbal and students Sameera Mansuri and Aastha Shrivastava.
Conducted in a closed indoor environment using artificial, adjustable lighting to simulate sunlight, the project focused on optimising hydroponic systems for different vegetable and medicinal crops. The research found that techniques like Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and aeroponics yielded significantly better results for leafy vegetables like spinach and lettuce compared to conventional soil-based farming.
Read more at Times of India