Nutrient Management in Soilless Crop Systems
Summary
Soilless crop systems, encompassing hydroponics, aeroponics and other recirculated systems, have transformed modern horticulture by decoupling plant nutrition from soil constraints. Central to their success is the precise formulation and delivery of nutrient solutions that meet plant demands while minimising environmental discharge. In closed-loop configurations, drainage water is collected, analysed and recycled, reducing freshwater and fertiliser inputs by up to half. Advances in real-time sensing, computational modelling and decision support enable dynamic adjustment of nutrient composition, electrical conductivity and pH in response to plant uptake and environmental fluctuations. Such precision approaches enhance water‐use and nutrient‐use efficiencies, mitigate eutrophication risks and support high-value crop production in controlled environments worldwide. The integration of targeted supply algorithms with sensor networks fosters resilient systems that can adapt to changing climatic and economic conditions, underpinning sustainable intensification of horticultural production.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Nutrient Management in Soilless Crop Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutrient management in soilless crop systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Closed-loop soilless culture system: A cultivation arrangement in which drainage solution is collected, analysed and reused to minimise waste and environmental discharge.
Uptake concentration (UC): The ratio of nutrient mass absorbed by a plant to the volume of water taken up, expressed as mmol L⁻¹, used to tailor nutrient solution strength.
Electrical conductivity (EC): A measure of the total ionic concentration in a solution, serving as a proxy for overall nutrient strength and guiding replenishment decisions.
Decision support system (DSS): A software tool that integrates sensor data, crop models and analytical results to recommend optimal timing and composition of nutrient deliveries.
Cascade soilless system: A sequential irrigation approach whereby the drainage from one crop is used to irrigate a subsequent crop, improving overall water and nutrient use efficiency.
References
- Improvement and validation of a decision support system to maintain optimal nutrient levels in crops grown in closed-loop soilless systems. Agricultural Water Management (2023).
- Cascade hydroponics enhanced water and nutrients use efficiency in a greenhouse cucumber-melon crop combination. Scientia Horticulturae (2024).
- State of the Art and New Technologies to Recycle the Fertigation Effluents in Closed Soilless Cropping Systems Aiming to Maximise Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Greenhouse Crops. Agronomy (2023).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.