Articles
Preliminary market research on a zero-acreage farming model the home-scale organic hydroponic tent set
Article number
1356_8
Pages
51 – 58
Language
English
Abstract
Urban farmers have engaged in growing food on rooftops or balconies for costing no additional land.
Among the type of zero-acreage farming, hydroponics is a cultivating practice adopted by some home-scale growers for many reasons, including optimal use of location and nutrients, low water consumption, low maintenance, and non-susceptibility to soil-borne pests and weeds.
Despite many advantages, hydroponics is not easy for beginners because it requires expertise, expensive costs of equipment and cultivation, and threats from system failure.
Most importantly, arguments have been located on the sustainability of conventional hydroponics as it relies mainly on synthetic fertilizers instead of organic ones, and such a cultivation system is often isolated from soil and nature.
By contrast, organic hydroponics using organic fertilizers relying on microbial mineralization capacity helps to redirect organic wastes into the food production cycle.
However, the lack of knowledge and skills, practicing organic hydroponics locally, vertically, and organically is challenging for urban amateur farmers and home growers.
A turnkey solution can help beginners develop their urban agriculture smoothly.
Due to a lack of investigation, this study explores the potential users’ and industrial professionals’ perceptions of a home-scale organic hydroponic tent set.
It conducted semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey in Taiwan between June and September 2019. The study analyzed qualitative data collected from 12 interviewees and quantitative data from 36 questionnaire respondents.
The results presented that beginner farmers strived for solutions; however, the local providers of protected horticultural facilities did not value the niche market.
Moreover, market prices of quality facilities have exceeded the mean price that potential customers will pay, 60 m-2, let alone the whole package of the cultivation system.
Further research is required to optimize the affordability and usability of organic hydroponic cultivation systems for amateur farmers.
Among the type of zero-acreage farming, hydroponics is a cultivating practice adopted by some home-scale growers for many reasons, including optimal use of location and nutrients, low water consumption, low maintenance, and non-susceptibility to soil-borne pests and weeds.
Despite many advantages, hydroponics is not easy for beginners because it requires expertise, expensive costs of equipment and cultivation, and threats from system failure.
Most importantly, arguments have been located on the sustainability of conventional hydroponics as it relies mainly on synthetic fertilizers instead of organic ones, and such a cultivation system is often isolated from soil and nature.
By contrast, organic hydroponics using organic fertilizers relying on microbial mineralization capacity helps to redirect organic wastes into the food production cycle.
However, the lack of knowledge and skills, practicing organic hydroponics locally, vertically, and organically is challenging for urban amateur farmers and home growers.
A turnkey solution can help beginners develop their urban agriculture smoothly.
Due to a lack of investigation, this study explores the potential users’ and industrial professionals’ perceptions of a home-scale organic hydroponic tent set.
It conducted semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey in Taiwan between June and September 2019. The study analyzed qualitative data collected from 12 interviewees and quantitative data from 36 questionnaire respondents.
The results presented that beginner farmers strived for solutions; however, the local providers of protected horticultural facilities did not value the niche market.
Moreover, market prices of quality facilities have exceeded the mean price that potential customers will pay, 60 m-2, let alone the whole package of the cultivation system.
Further research is required to optimize the affordability and usability of organic hydroponic cultivation systems for amateur farmers.
Authors
T.I. Lee, Y.H. Hsieh, Yen-Chun Fu
Keywords
home growers, rooftop soil-less gardening, protected horticulture facilities, urban agriculture, perceptions
Groups involved
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
- Working Group Urban Horticulture
- Working Group Landscape Horticulture
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