By Ram Bahadur Thapa, Baglung, June 20: Baikuntha Sapkota of Ratmata in Baglung Municipality-3 rears fish in a small pond and just above it, he grows vegetables for which no soil or manure is required.

The water from the same pond irrigates the vegetables and then recedes to the pond. This process is supported by an electric system and this is called the hydroponic farming. Sapkota is the first person in the entire village to successfully test this modern technology-based vegetable farming.

According to him, it is also called 'soilless' farming. Plants are fed micronutrients through water. As he believed, this is the first successful trial of hydroponic farming not only in the village but also in the district.

He is rearing 300 fish fries of Maur species. However, hydroponic technology is suitable for vegetables with fibrous roots. Onion, garlic, coriander plant and green-leaf vegetables flourishes in it.

Sapkota has used bamboo, plastic bottles and glasses to plant vegetables. "The water from the pond is pulled up by an electric motor to gradually reach it to all the bottles and drop it again into the pond," he said.

Sapkota said fish feces provide micronutrients to the water and it finally reaches to the plants above. Nutrients should be added to the water if we want to grow plants without fishing.

Farmers are being attracted to the new method of farming which can be done in house roof and in balcony as well. Agricultural experts said hydroponic farming results in relatively faster and more produces than the soil-based farming.

Importantly, it has no risk of soil-based disease for the plants.