UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Aug. 4 -- Pennsylvania State University issued the following news release:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Vegetable production from soilless farming - a method of growing plants in a nutrient-rich solution rather than traditional soil - is significant, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with more than half of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce grown using hydroponics. This fast-growing segment of modern agriculture addresses water scarcity, land limitations and food security, but microbial management remains a challenge, according to a team of researchers at Penn State. The team conducted a study of bacteria in five soilless farming systems and found that hydroponic system design strongly affects microbes in...