Bridging soil-based and soilless nutrient management in horticulture: Mechanisms and technologies

Abstract:

Horticulture plays vital role for food security, rural employment and environmental protection. However, nutrient management in horticulture is divided into two main approaches. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) focuses on nutrient cycling in soil systems. Secondary, hydroponic, aeroponic, aquaponic and vertical-farming systems depend on engineered nutrient solutions with little or no inclusion of rhizosphere science. This review summarizes recent work in both fields, contrasts their approaches to nutrient provision, and highlights a key research gap, which is the need to adapt and test the biological and rhizosphere-based principles of INM to soilless and controlled environment horticulture. The review also discusses biofertilizer and mycorrhizae application in soilless media, nano-fertilizer technology, decision support through the use of artificial intelligence and the influence of energy, economic and regulatory factors on adoption. The authors argue that the science of horticulture should include knowledge of soil-plant-microbe interactions with the same degree of precision as the application of nutrients in a controlled environment.