What's behind the curtain? Hydroponics at Purdue University 

By Cheri Frederick

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue Extension hosted a hydroponics workshop on Sept. 8. The one-day event let participants see how Purdue College of Agriculture researchers are producing large quantities of edible crops (including fish) in small, greenhouse environments.

“Growing green leaf produce in greenhouses or by indoor-based hydroponics is rapidly increasing near urban areas in Indiana,” said Krishna Nemali, assistant professor of Purdue’s Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in an aquatic-based environment, using mineral nutrient solutions to feed plants without the use of soil.

“To bridge the gap in learning and increase the competitiveness of Indiana and Midwestern growers, Purdue Extension specialists and researchers have developed workshops to provide experiential learning to growers,” Nemali said.

The workshop focused on supplemental lighting for winter production, strategies for successful production in indoor or vertical farms, biological pest control, fertilizer recipes and injectors and ongoing research in greenhouses. Approximately 60 curious growers participated in the event held on the Purdue campus.