One possible alternative involves avoiding the soil altogether by growing crops in perlite filled, lay-flat plastic sleeves using soilless cultural techniques. Black and White Growbags Being Tested on Typical Beds. Soilless culture is the production of crops without the use of soil. Growers around the world, as well as in the United States, extensively use hydroponics to produce many horticultural crops. Benefits of using soilless culture include the ability to optimize water and nutrient supplies to the crops throughout the various growth stages and the ability to grow crops in areas where the soil is not naturally conducive to crop growth or is simply not available.
Alternatives being investigated include flooding, solarization, and numerous chemical compounds.
The problem is that no single alternative consistently and effectively controls weeds. In addition, the cost of some of the alternatives being investigated may prohibit their widespread use. The research component includes both a study of the practical, horticultural abilities and challenges of these systems as well as an economic evaluation of the systems. This paper will describe the successes and challenges of the first season of the study. Eric Waldo With Bare-Root Strawberry.