Erciyes University’s Agricultural Research and Application Center (ERÜTAM) has launched an modern venture that might remodel the way in which lettuce is cultivated. Their “Floating Lettuces” venture is a groundbreaking endeavor that entails rising lettuce on Styrofoam positioned in water-filled swimming pools, eliminating the necessity for conventional soil-based agriculture. This pioneering venture is about to be built-in into increased schooling curricula and shared with nationwide and worldwide college students.
Abdullah Ulaş, a lecturer specializing in soil science and plant diet, offered insights into the venture, which was initiated three months in the past. Ulaş defined that this system has attracted 23 grasp’s and doctoral college students from varied international locations, together with Iraq, Somalia, Ghana, the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan, to take part within the coaching.
The college students are taught cutting-edge strategies for cultivating lettuce on Styrofoam positioned in water-filled swimming pools with out the usage of soil. Upon finishing their coaching, the scholars will possess the abilities to implement this modern methodology of their house international locations, contributing to their economies.
“The floating lettuce project is entirely based on a water system. We aim to nurture the plants by providing a nutrient solution prepared in-house for the water. The dark hue of the lettuce results from the iron we supply. The primary objective of this project is to create employment opportunities in underdeveloped nations,” Ulaş elaborated.
He emphasised that the system is solely chemical-free, with out the usage of exterior pesticides or the presence of dangerous bugs. This strategy ensures the purity of the produce and permits for exact management over the vitamins provided, characterizing it as a type of “good agriculture.” Under managed situations, lettuce will be cultivated in roughly one month. In distinction, conventional soil-based agriculture sometimes takes three months, yielding solely a fraction of the output, round eight to 9 harvests per yr in comparison with the practically steady manufacturing of lettuce below the brand new system.
Hadı Hama Ameen, an Iraqi pupil who had accomplished his undergraduate research in soil sciences on the Faculty of Agriculture, expressed the importance of the venture for his future. He famous, “With this project, I’ll be able to grow and teach soil-free agriculture activities to the youth in my country and create employment opportunities.”
Saad Mohamed Hajı Nour, a Somali nationwide pursuing a doctoral diploma within the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies at ERÜTAM, shared his aspirations. “After learning the floating lettuce project techniques here, I will help my people, especially our farmers in my country,” he declared. This modern strategy to lettuce cultivation guarantees a sustainable and environment friendly resolution for agriculture, with far-reaching implications for international locations searching for to boost meals manufacturing and financial development.
Source: www.dailysabah.com