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Review
. 2024 Dec 18:15:1504792.
doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1504792. eCollection 2024.

Advancements and future perspectives in nutrient film technique hydroponic system: a comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis

Onofrio Davide Palmitessa  1 , Angelo Signore  1 , Pietro Santamaria  1
Affiliations
Review

Advancements and future perspectives in nutrient film technique hydroponic system: a comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis

Onofrio Davide Palmitessa et al. Front Plant Sci. .

Abstract

In the context of climate change, reducing the environmental impact of agriculture has become increasingly critical. To ensure sustainable food production, it is essential to adopt cultivation techniques that maximize resource efficiency, particularly in water and nutrient usage. The Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is one such hydroponic system, designed to optimize water and nutrient use, making it a valuable tool for sustainable agriculture. This bibliometric review examines the evolution of NFT research from 1977 to 2023, focusing on the growing interest in this method as a solution to the agricultural challenges posed by climate change. Through the analysis of 774 scientific documents, this review highlights an upward trend in NFT-related studies, with a noticeable shift from conference proceedings to peer-reviewed journal articles, particularly in recent years. Acta Horticulturae has been a leading journal in this field, underscoring the significance of early conference contributions. Lettuce and tomatoes have emerged as the primary crops studied in NFT systems, demonstrating the technique's broad applicability. Research on lettuce has primarily focused on nitrate accumulation and biofortification, aiming to improve both the nutritional quality and safety of the crop. Studies on tomatoes have explored challenges related to oxygen concentration in the nutrient solution, where innovations such as the Nutrient Drip Technique (NDT) and the New Growing System (NGS) have shown promise in addressing these issues. Other key areas of NFT research include the effects of water salinity on crop growth and the integration of NFT with aquaponics systems, highlighting its potential for sustainable, water-efficient crop production. However, challenges such as nutrient imbalances and disease management persist. This review underscores the growing relevance of NFT in the pursuit of environmentally sustainable agriculture. Continued innovation and research are essential to optimizing nutrient management, refining environmental controls, and exploring new crop varieties, thereby enhancing the potential of NFT for sustainable farming systems.

Keywords: climate changes; environmental impact; nutrient solution management; soilless; water use efficiency.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) NS flow in NFT cultivation system. (B) Excessive root development in unripe melon (Cucumis melo L.), landrace called ‘Scopatizzo’, grown in NFT, 80 days after transplant. (C) Continuous monitoring of root temperature in ‘Scopatizzo’ (C. melo) grown in NFT. (D) Overview of an unripe melon (Cucumis melo L.) landrace, called ‘Scopatizzo’, growth with NFT system and three levels of NaCl in the NS (0, 2.5 and 5 mM).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The PRISMA flowchart.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative production (on an annual basis – timespan: 1990-2023) of scientific papers on NFT.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage of scientific papers on NFT relative to soilless systems (black numbers) and percentage change from the previous year (red numbers and histogram values).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Thematic evolution of Authors' keywords over the 1990-2023 timespan.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Number of scientific papers categorized by type and year.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Scientific papers categorized by type and year (timespan: 1977-2023). Each dot in the violin plot represents an entry based on its corresponding document type.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Most important journals according to the number of publications on NFT papers.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Most global cited Authors and documents.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Authors’ scientific production across the specified timespan period.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Number of publications on the NFT topic, categorized by country.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Collaboration network among countries for articles on the NFT topic.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Distribution of Open Access vs Non-Open Access papers on the NFT topic over the years. The dimension of the bubbles represents the number of citations.
Figure 14
Figure 14
Treemap of the most common terms extracted from titles, abstracts, and keywords. Only the top six terms are displayed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Al-Maskri A., Al-Kharusi L., Al-Miqbali H., Khan M. M. (2010). Effects of salinity stress on growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under closed-recycle nutrient film technique. Int. J. Agric. Biol. 12, 377–380.
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