Nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique where in a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as channels.
Plants placed into nutrient-rich water channels in an NFT system
A home-built NFT hydroponic system
Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions in an artificial environment. Terrestrial or aquatic plants may grow freely with their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid or the roots may be mechanically supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates.
NASA researcher Ray Wheeler checking hydroponic onions (center), Bibb lettuces (left), and radishes (right)
Inside an ebb-and-flow hydroponic system employing individual buckets connected by fill/drain hoses.
The deep water raft tank at the Crop Diversification Centre (CDC) South Aquaponics greenhouse in Brooks, Alberta
The nutrient film technique (NFT) being used to grow various salad greens