Hydroponics

Dr. Rohitashw Kumar (B.E., M.E., and Ph. D.) is Associate Dean and Professor in College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, India. He worked as Professor Water Chair (Sheikh-ul-Alam Shiekh Nuruddin Water Chair), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (J&K) during 2018-2021. He is also Professor and Head, Division of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Water Resources Engineering from NIT, Hamirpur, and Master of Engineering Degree in Irrigation Water Management Engineering from MPUAT, Udaipur. He got, National Fellow, Gold medal award-2022, leadership award in 2020, Special Research award and Student Incentive Award (Ph.D. Research) from the Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi. He also got faculty fellow from IIT Bombay. He also got the first prize in India for best M. Tech thesis in Agricultural Engineering in 2001. He has published over 165 papers in peer-reviewed journals, more than 30 popular articles, 12books, 4 practical manuals, and 40 book chapters. He has guided 8 Ph. D students and 19 M. Tech in soil and water engineering. He has handled more than 20 research projects as a principal or co-principal investigator. Since 2011, he has been Principal Investigator of ICAR- All India Coordinated Research Project on Plastic Engineering in Agriculture Structural and Environment Management.Dr. Munjid Maryam is working as Researcher in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering at the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar India. Her academic journey includes a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering, an M.Tech in Soil and Water Engineering, and a PhD in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering from SKUAST-K. She has also gained practical experience through internships at prestigious institutes like the ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Northern Region Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, and the ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology. Her research contributions are extensive, with multiple peer-reviewed publications in reputed journals. She has co-authored several papers on topics ranging from smart irrigation systems and rainfall-runoff modeling to drought quantification and urban hydrology. She has authored a book and also contributed to various book chapters on water management, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture, published by leading international publishers. In recognition of her contributions, she has received several prestigious awards, including the Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Doctoral Fellowship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence Fellowship from the BITS BioCyTiH Foundation, BITS Pilani. She was also honored as the National Best Speaker at the National Environment Youth Parliament held at Parliament House, New Delhi.Dr. Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma is currently serving as Assistant Professor (Research) in the Department of Civil Engineering at Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun, Uttarakhand. He obtained his B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering from Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj Faizabad, followed by an M.Tech. in Soil and Water Engineering from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar. He completed his Ph.D. in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Dr. Vishwakarma has extensive academic, research, and field experience in irrigation and drainage engineering, hydrology, groundwater modeling, watershed management, remote sensing and GIS applications, climate change impacts on water resources, landslide susceptibility assessment, and pressurized irrigation system optimization. His research focuses on the integration of geospatial technologies, numerical simulation, machine learning, and optimization techniques for sustainable water resources and environmental management. He has authored and co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed research articles published in reputed international journals indexed in SCIE and other major databases. As per his Google Scholar profile, his publications have received more than 3,760 citations, with an h-index of 33 and an i10-index of 62, reflecting the significant academic impact of his research contributions. In addition, he has contributed to several interdisciplinary research projects related to springshed management, hydrological modeling, environmental sustainability, and climate-resilient water resource planning. His scholarly work emphasizes innovative and data-driven approaches for addressing contemporary challenges in water, agriculture, and environmental systems. InstitutionalProf. Vijay P. Singh is a Distinguished Professor, a Regents Professor, and the inaugural holder of the Caroline and William N. Lehrer Distinguished Chair in Water Engineering at the Texas A&M University. His research interests include surface-water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, hydraulics, irrigation engineering, environmental quality, water resources, water-food-energy nexus, climate change impacts, entropy theory, copula theory, and mathematical modeling. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Engineering and Technology with emphasis on Soil and Water Conservation Engineering in 1967 from the U.P. Agricultural University, India. He earned an MS in Engineering with specialization in Hydrology in 1970 from the University of Guelph, Canada; a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with specialization in Hydrology and Water Resources in 1974fromthe Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA, and a D.Sc. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering in 1998 from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has published extensively on a wide range of topics. His publications include more than 1365 journal articles, 32 books, 80 edited books, 305 book chapters, and 315 conference proceedings papers. For his seminar contributions he has received more than 100 national and international awards, including three honorary doctorates. Currently he serves as Past President of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and previously he served as President of the American Institute of Hydrology and Cahir, Watershed Council, ASCE. He is Editor-in-Chief of two book series, three journals, and serves on the editorial boards of more than 25 journals. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of three other journals. He is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an Honorary Member of the American Water Resources Association, an Honorary Member of International Water Resource Association, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Association of Global Groundwater Scientists. He is a fellow of five professional societies. He is also a fellow or member of 11 national or international engineering or science academies.

• Book SummaryPrefaceAbout the EditorsGlossaryChapter 1 Foundation of Soilless AgricultureChapter 2 Principles of Plant Growth and Plant NutritionChapter 3 Sustainability of HydroponicsChapter 4 Hydroponic ArchitectureChapter 5 Growing Media and Root Support StructuresChapter 6 Hydroponics System Infrastructure and ComponentsChapter 7 Nutrient and Water ManagementChapter 8 Environmental Control and Smart TechnologiesChapter 9 Crop Production ProtocolsChapter 10 Operations, Economics, and PolicyChapter 11 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting in Hydroponics