Beyond soil: An analysis of diverse growing media in vertical farming systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14719/tcb.9476Keywords:
biochar, biostrate, growing media, organic carbon, soil health, sustainable agriculture, vermiculite, vertical farmingAbstract
Vertical farming has emerged as a promising approach to address the challenges of food security, urbanization, climate change, and declining arable land. Central to the success of vertical farming systems is the selection of suitable growing media, which replaces soil by supporting root development, regulating moisture availability, and facilitating nutrient delivery in controlled environments. This review examines the diversity of growing media used in vertical farming, including organic substrates such as coco coir and peat-based materials, inorganic media like perlite, vermiculite, and rockwool, and emerging alternatives such as bio-based composites, hydrogels, and nanomaterial-enhanced substrates. The functional properties of these media are water-holding capacity, aeration, nutrient retention, structural stability, weight, and reusability which are discussed in relation to crop performance and system efficiency. Attention is given to sustainability concerns, including environmental impact, biodegradability, waste generation, and lifecycle considerations of commonly used substrates. The review also highlights emerging research areas, including microbial interactions in soilless media, durability under intensive production cycles, and the development of lightweight and recyclable materials for stacked cultivation systems. By synthesizing recent advancements and identifying key research gaps, this paper provides insights into optimizing growing media for scalable and sustainable vertical farming, contributing to resilient urban food production systems and future food security.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Konappan Surya, Ramanujam Krishnan, Vaddi Saitheja, Ratchagar Arockia Infant Paul, Anbazhagan Ammaiyappan, Sornam Gowtham
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