Commercial Hydroponics, Aquaponics & Vertical Plant Factories in Bangladesh: Lessons from BADC Gazipur
By Md. Mamunur Reza (Assistant Program Director, APCU-BADC PARTNER & PhD Fellow)
During my tenure directing the High-Tech Greenhouse and Hydroponics program at the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in Kashimpur, Gazipur (2018–2020), our primary engineering challenge was adapting temperate recirculating hydroponic architectures to a humid sub-tropical climate where ambient summer temperatures frequently exceed 35°C.
1. Multi-Tier A-Frame NFT vs. Dutch-Bucket Substrate Systems
For fast-maturing leafy vegetables—such as butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa), pak choi, Swiss chard, and culinary herbs—we engineered multi-tier A-frame Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) food-grade UPVC channels. By elevating plant density to 32–40 plants per square meter of floor area, vertical A-frames increased land-use efficiency by 300% compared to conventional soil beds while reducing irrigation water consumption by nearly 90%.
For long-duration indeterminate fruiting crops—including coloured bell peppers (Capsicum annuum), cherry tomatoes, rockmelons, and cucumbers—we deployed drip-fertigated Dutch-bucket systems filled with buffered coco-peat and perlite (70:30 v/v), providing thermal buffering for the root zone during peak solar radiation.
2. Stock A & Stock B Nutrient Stoichiometry and EC/pH Control
To prevent calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate precipitation in concentrated reservoirs, nutrient salts were separated into two 100× stock tanks:
- Stock Tank A: Calcium Nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O], Potassium Nitrate (KNO₃ — partial), and chelated iron (Fe-EDTA / Fe-DTPA).
- Stock Tank B: Monopotassium Phosphate (MKP — KH₂PO₄), Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO₄·7H₂O), Potassium Sulfate (K₂SO₄), Boric Acid (H₃BO₃), Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, and Sodium Molybdate.
Maintaining root-zone pH between 5.6 and 6.2 and dissolved oxygen above 6.5 mg/L via venturi aeration proved decisive in preventing Pythium root rot in tropical greenhouses. We later codified these exact stoichiometric equations into the open-access Hydroponics.com.bd 24-lesson curriculum and the HydroGuide Android App.
সুপার ফুড মাইক্রোগ্রিন: সহজ উপায়ে বাড়িতে ও বাণিজ্যিকভাবে উৎপাদন কৌশল (Super Food Microgreen)
Authored by Agriculturist Md. Mamunur Reza (কৃষিবিদ মো. মামুনুর রেজা)—a comprehensive Bengali guide to home and commercial microgreen production, nutritional profiles, tray substrates, and indoor crop management.
View Book on Rokomari.com