In hydroponics, nutrient film technique (NFT) has long been synonymous with leafy green production. NFT delivers a shallow stream of nutrient solution directly to plant roots in narrow channels, minimizing waste and maximizing space efficiency. It's simple, water-efficient design made it a natural fit for crops like lettuce, basil and arugula: fast-growing, compact and low-maintenance crops that helped define NFT's role in modern controlled environment agriculture.
But a shift is beginning. More growers are now considering NFT for more than just leafy greens. With compact fruiting crops and modest system adaptations, a broader future is emerging for NFT, one where strawberries, dwarf peppers and micro-dwarf tomatoes might find a home. At its core, NFT minimizes waste and maximizes space efficiency. These strengths made NFT the gold standard for crops with short cycles, shallow roots and minimal structural needs.
Yet the same simplicity that made NFT ideal for greens also historically limited its crop diversity. Fruiting crops — with higher nutrient demands, longer crop cycles, larger roots and heavier weight — were often seen as incompatible. But with slight system tweaks, the potential is broader than once believed.
In the CEA Innovation Lab at Virginia Tech, micro-dwarf tomato cultivars were examined in NFT systems originally designed for leafy greens. These compact, determinate plants, bred to stay less than 30 centimeters tall, proved exceptionally well-suited to the shallow channels. Their small size, early maturity and uniform fruiting made them easy to integrate into NFT's flow.
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