Aromatic plant culture in open-air hydroponics

Starting from 1965 physiological, agrochemical basis and effectiveness of a number of valuable aromatic plant (Pelargonium roseum, Cymbopogon citratus , Ocimum gratissimum, Vetiveria zizanioides, Nepeta transcaucasica etc.) so illess cultivation has been studied at the Institute of Hydroponics Problem s (Armenia). The possibility, high efficiency and economical benefit of shifting from la bour-consuming, expensive traditional culture of aromatic plants, to indust rial production in open-air and greenhouse hydroponic fields, over the surf aces unfit for traditional agriculture, has been proved. Experiments have shown that hydroponically grown aromatic plants have highe r productivity, in addition to accumulate 3-6 times more essential oil per unit of feeding surface, compared with field grown ones. The root environme nt of hydroponic plants is abundantly provided with water, nutrients and ai r, with a corresponding increase of the metabolic and absorbing activity of roots, which, in its turn, initiates development of plant overground part with increasing biological and economical productivity several folds. It is shown that this is accompanied by some physiological and biochemical chang es in the plant, e.g. some increase of chlorophyll and essential oil conten t, drastic increase of hydroponic field photosynthetic potential, early dev elopment of maximal assimilation surface, etc. Besides, water and labour ex penses per tonne of crops significantly decrease, efficiency of sun energy increases, and finally, hard and labour consuming work such as cultivation, loosening, weeding, irrigation etc. are eliminated. So, new, progressive a nd automated biotechnology of phyto-stuff production comes to substitute co nventional agrotechnics.