Hydroponics

When Bernard Kratky left his Hawaiian home and horticulture research in the ‘80s, he went to learn from another island across the planet with similar challenges. Taiwan, and its Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, was running ambitious experiments to grow resilient crops in developing countries. Breeding sweet potatoes and mung beans, developing disease-resistant tomatoes, and reducing fertilizer inputs were some of their priorities. Among all of the vegetable excitement, Kratky saw researchers growing crops without soil, hydroponically.