Vol. 12, Issue 1 (2023)

Author(s):
Reetika Sharma, Parshant Bakshi, Rakesh Kumar, Maanik and Manmohan Lal

Abstract:
As a result of growing urbanisation, industrialization, and iceberg melting, it is anticipated that the area of arable land under cultivation will significantly decline (a clear consequence of global warming). Production has once again crossed the threshold of soil fertility saturation despite adopting increased fertiliser treatment levels. Some factors, such as poor soil fertility, frequent drought conditions, unpredictable climate and weather patterns, an increase in temperature, river pollution, inadequate water management and waste of enormous amounts of water, and a decrease in groundwater level, pose a threat to the viability of traditional soil-based agriculture. Fruit crops, which have a larger production potential and better nutritional value than other horticulture crops, will be the greatest choice for achieving both food and nutritional security. Due to their huge area requirements, land scarcity is the main drawback of fruit growing. The recent new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis has had a substantial influence on the sustainable supply of fresh foods, the food supply chain, and food prices. In view of this, urban horticulture and crop growing have risen to prominence as potential means of expanding urban green infrastructure to other regions. It is anticipated that as media consumption grows globally. The effects of a prospective increase in demand are explored in relation to the availability of common growing media components like peat, coir, wood fibre, bark, compost, perlite, stone wool, and tuffs, as well as less common but potentially accessible growing media constituents like sphagnum, water, and biochar. The impact of trends like the recirculation of drainage solution, the use of organic fertilisers, and advancements in remote growing is examined in relation to how irrigation, drainage, and support systems alter growth media demands. In conclusion, the world's rapidly expanding media market is very dynamic and has the potential to grow fourfold between 2017 and 2050, with Asia seeing the greatest per-continent use. Growing media can improve public health, quality of life, and the sustainable production of horticultural crops.