A Comparative Study of Growth Parameters for Leafy Vegetables Cultivated in Soil and Hydroponic Systems

This study investigates several preliminary growth parameters in seven species of edible green leafy vegetables, a popular source of dietary components in Asian countries like India, China, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, focusing on hydroponics, an innovative technique that reduces productivity costs in developing countries and pharmaceutical industries. Controlling climate factors had a positive impact on plant survival and growth. Using LEDs, automated temperature control units, and humidity was found to be crucial in the hydroponic system. This study focused on seed initiation time and seed viability ratio as preliminary growth parameters. The study found that seed initiation time (SIT) in soil-based and hydroponic cultivation systems was earliest in C. arietinum (3 days), followed by A. viridis L. (6 days), C. olitorious L. (7 days), T. feonum-graecum L., S. oleracea L. (9 days), C. sativum L. (11 days), and M. arvensis L. (15 days). In this study on a total of 900 seeds for different plant species, it was found that hydroponics had a higher percentage viability ratio for leafy vegetables, with M. arvensis having almost doubled the viability rate in hydroponics, influenced by indoor facilities and environmental parameters. The overall impact of hydroponics was significant over the preliminary growth parameters in seven different edible green leafy plants.