Simplified substrate soilless culture for vegetable production in Trujillo, Peru.

Simplified hydroponic systems are a sustainable way for fruit and vegetable production in/for the cities. Small scale farming, both on a family and a community basis, may allow to achieve the goals of both improve nutrition and reduce poverty. A project for the development of soilless cultivation in mother groups was carried out between 2002 and 2004 in Trujillo, northern Peru. In this work we will present some results of a simplified soilless system on organic substrate (rice hulls), adopted for the cultivation of tomato, carrot and radish. The growing system, composed by a 1 square meter wooden structure, made waterproof through the application of a plastic film provided of a drainage, was filled with the growing substrate on which plants were directly sown. Tomato yield was about 18 kg m-2 cycle-1, whereas carrot yielded 8.1 m-2 cycle-1, and radish about 3.8 m-2 cycle-1. An analysis of the economic value of gardening is also included.