Hydroponic Agriculture and Microbial Safety of Vegetables: Promises, Challenges, and Solutions

Hydroponics is a farming technique for growing plants with mineral nutrients using soil-free medium. The plant roots are submerged in media, such as vermiculite or perlite, just nutrient solutions. This allows high production yields throughout the year less water and agro-chemical inputs. Consequently, hydroponics considered sustainable agriculture technology. Hydroponically grown crops usually protected from diseases transmitted through soil animals open fields. Therefore, they require fewer chemicals pest control safer than conventionally terms of possible chemical contamination. Nevertheless, guarantees neither health nor microbial safety fresh produce. In case contamination by human pathogens, unlike soil-grown crops, pathogens may rapidly spread circulating simultaneously infect all facility. review summarizes up-to-date knowledge regarding hydroponically discusses role hydroponic system reducing hazards leafy fruity well potential risks pathogens. Finally, it outlines approaches available science-based practices to ensure produce safety. risk systems be diminished novel planting materials appropriate decontamination treatment recirculating liquid substrate; modulating microbiota interactions; following strict phytosanitary measures workers’ hygienic practices. There timely need adopt measures, Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) guidelines, mitigate safe vegetables consumers.