Jinan-gun, Annual Harvest of Hydroponic Lettuce Triples

Pilot Support for Transition to Soilless Cultivation... Distribution of Bed Facilities

Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk, reported that the 'Agricultural Work Environment Improvement Hydroponic Cultivation Conversion Project' promoted this year has tripled lettuce productivity.

According to the county on the 20th, this project involves converting the traditional soil cultivation method inside greenhouses to hydroponic cultivation by installing waist-high artificial beds. It is a system that automatically sprays nutrients to the roots of crops using a nutrient solution device.

As a result of the 'Transition to Hydroponic Cultivation for Improving Agricultural Work Environment' project promoted by Jinan-gun, the annual lettuce harvest increased approximately threefold. The photo shows lettuce being grown hydroponically.
[Photo by Jinan-gun]

This technology improves the soil fatigue problem in existing lettuce greenhouses, enabling precise nutrient supply, which enhances crop growth and yield. The elevated method allows work without bending the waist, greatly helping to prevent musculoskeletal disorders among farmers.

Of course, converting to hydroponic cultivation requires a high initial investment, and farmers need to separately learn greenhouse environment management and how to operate the nutrient solution device. There is also a drawback that rapid damage can occur if problems arise with pump equipment.

A farmer participating in the pilot project said, "With the conversion to hydroponic cultivation, lettuce that was grown twice a year can now be grown up to six times," adding, "It greatly helps farm income, and above all, the improved working environment reduces labor costs and eliminates back pain."

Ko Kyung-sik, director of the Agricultural Technology Center, said, "Improving the labor environment and mechanization projects are urgently needed due to the aging farming population," and added, "We will discover smart, cutting-edge farming technologies in line with future agriculture and strive to increase farm income."