TITLE:
Vertical Farming Using Hydroponic System: Toward a Sustainable Onion Production in Nueva Ecija, Philippines
AUTHORS:
Marilou P. Pascual, Gina A. Lorenzo, Arneil G. Gabriel
KEYWORDS:
Vertical Farming, Sustainability, Farm Management, Onion Production, Hydroponic, Ecosystem, Climate Change
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.8 No.1,
January
11,
2018
ABSTRACT: The development of new technology for food production is essential to
sustain man’s needs for survival. The use of farmlands for food production and
industrial purposes goes beyond the carrying capacity of the environment. The study determined
the applicability of Vertical Farming using Hydroponic Technology to onion
production in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The country is known as the onion
capital of Southeast Asia. The study measured the technology’s sustainability
and acceptability to onion farmers. By using experimental method, interview,
and Focused Group Discussions (FGD), the study established its viability. Three
phases of field experiments were conducted in August 2016, May 2017 and July
2017 using the Vertical Farming and Hydroponics Technology and Single Factor
Analysis of Variance. The results showed that there is significant difference
in the growth of onion bulb per week and the suitability and comparability of
the technology to conventional farming. The study concluded that the VFH
technology is acceptable to most onion farmers except the aspect of the cost of
initial investment which requires government subsidy for the ordinary onion
grower to avail of this new and sustainable technology in onion production.