No ploughing, no soil beds and no conventional land preparation. Instead, rows of polybags filled with coco peat, a growing medium made from coconut husks, are nurturing cucumber plants in Sapmara village of Gazipur. As the plants grow, so does farmer Ferdous Mia's hope that crops can be cultivated successfully without soil.
Ferdous is not pursuing a large commercial venture. His initiative is a small-scale experiment to assess the feasibility of soil-free farming under local conditions, including its production potential, ease of cultivation and overall costs.
The experiment is underway on three kathas of land in Sapmara village in Pubail, Gazipur city. Known locally for his enthusiasm for farming, Ferdous has long cultivated papaya and various traditional vegetables. He has now turned to soilless cultivation in search of an alternative approach to farming.
He is receiving guidance from Ariful Islam, a Bangladeshi expatriate farmer who gained experience in coco peat-based cultivation in Malaysia. Together, they are exploring how the technique can be adapted to local conditions.
In the first phase, Ferdous has installed 200 polybags filled with coco peat instead of soil. Made from processed coconut husks and fibres, the material provides a growing medium that retains moisture, allows air to reach plant roots and supports nutrient management. Cucumber plants are now growing in the bags.
"I am interested in adopting new and modern technologies alongside conventional farming. That is why I have started soil-free cultivation using coco peat. Although the initial cost is somewhat higher, I hope the expenses will come down if production becomes regular," Ferdous said.
Soilless cultivation is not new to global agriculture. Techniques such as hydroponics and coco peat-based growing systems are used in various countries, particularly where farmland is limited and growers seek to make more efficient use of available space.
For Ferdous, however, the immediate challenge is to determine whether the method can deliver practical and economic benefits in Bangladesh. He is monitoring the plants' growth, water requirements, nutrient needs and susceptibility to pests and diseases. The decisive test will be the yield and whether it justifies the investment.
If the experiment proves successful, he plans to extend the method to other fruits and vegetables. He believes soil-free cultivation could help increase production in limited spaces at a time when agricultural land is shrinking and farmers face seasonal challenges.
"Technology is playing an increasingly important role in agriculture. If the experiment succeeds, we can try to produce more in a smaller space. I plan to work with other crops as well," he said.
With pressure on agricultural land mounting and food demand remaining high, finding ways to increase production within limited spaces has become increasingly important. Yet growing crops in coco peat does not automatically guarantee higher yields or greater profits.
The method's viability will depend on several factors, including initial investment, the cost of coco peat and other inputs, labour requirements, nutrient management and the quantity and quality of the harvest. Ferdous's experiment could offer a small but useful insight into how the technique performs under local conditions.
Farmers in Sapmara are also watching the cucumber plants grow in the coco peat-filled bags, and the initiative has sparked curiosity about the alternative technique. If the trial succeeds, it could encourage others in the area to explore technology-based cultivation.
Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Hasibul Hasan said seedlings produced using coco peat were of good quality and less susceptible to diseases.
He described coco peat-based cultivation as a potential tool for improving farmers' livelihoods, adding that proper crop management and the use of improved technology could help increase their financial returns.
