Gangwon Agricultural Technology Institute Develops Summer Paprika Using Circulating Hydroponic Cultivation Technique

(Chuncheon=Yonhap News) Reporter Yang Ji-woong = Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Agricultural Technology Institute announced on the 24th that it has officially launched a demonstration research project to distribute and spread eco-friendly hydroponic cultivation techniques.

The provincial agricultural technology institute has begun full-scale development of a circulating technology suitable for paprika's summer cultivation type starting this year.

This is the first demonstration research to establish a Gangwon-style model that helps ensure stable hydroponic cultivation even in high-temperature summer environments.

The institute is precisely analyzing the drainage usage, generation volume, and component changes by growth stage, and investigating the impact of drainage reuse on crop growth.

Circulating hydroponic cultivation is an eco-friendly technique that recovers and sterilizes nutrient solutions used for crop growth, reducing water and fertilizer usage while decreasing carbon emissions.

In particular, it can precisely adjust nutrient solution concentration and supply volume according to crop growth stages and seasonal changes, and establish a system that corrects nutritional imbalances through periodic drainage analysis, simultaneously promoting growth stability and quality improvement.

Additionally, by reducing unnecessary drainage, it can prevent water pollution and contribute to long-term fertilizer cost reduction and farm management stabilization as a sustainable cultivation method.

The agricultural technology institute completed the 'Eco-Friendly Hydroponic Demonstration Center' in 2024 after a three-year preparation period, and is currently conducting circulating hydroponic research and practice-oriented education at the demonstration center.

Through this demonstration research, they plan to pursue not only theoretical technology development but also implementation-centered distribution strategies.

By utilizing circulating cultivation facilities as customized practical training grounds, they aim to enhance on-site understanding and collaborate with Future Agriculture Education Institute and Gangwon National University to jointly utilize educational infrastructure.

Moreover, they plan to develop crop-specific and seasonal technology models for expanding hydroponic cultivation to crops beyond paprika such as tomatoes and lettuce, prepare environmental regulation response manuals, and establish a regional-level diffusion system centered on leading farms and crop associations to facilitate rapid on-site technology transfer.

Agricultural Technology Institute Director Kim Dong-hoon stated, "Circulating hydroponic cultivation technology that can simultaneously secure eco-friendliness, productivity, and quality is a key technology for future agriculture..."