PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1888455
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1888455
Soilless culture is a method of growing plants without natural soil, where roots receive water and nutrients through a specially prepared nutrient solution. The plants are supported in water or in inert growing materials such as rockwool, coco-peat, perlite, or clay pellets, which help retain moisture and provide space for root development. This method enables farmers to achieve higher yields, use less water, and cultivate crops even in areas with poor soil or limited land space.
The main components of soilless culture include the growing medium, system equipment, control systems, and plant nutrients. A growing medium is a substrate that supports plant roots and provides water, nutrients, and air in soilless cultivation systems. The system types include hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. The equipment used includes growth chambers, irrigation systems, lighting, and sensors. Various crops such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers can be grown. These systems are utilized by several end-users, including agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, and urban farming.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
The accelerated imposition of U.S. tariffs and the emerging trade conflicts in spring 2025 are significantly influencing the agriculture sector by increasing input costs for seeds, fertilizers, and machinery parts sourced from abroad. Tariffs on imported agrochemicals and farm equipment have raised production expenses for growers, while retaliatory measures from key trading partners have reduced export opportunities for U.S. crops such as corn, wheat, and dairy products. As a result, many farmers are experiencing shrinking profit margins and heightened financial stress. In response, agricultural producers are diversifying crop portfolios, adopting precision farming technologies to reduce input waste, and advocating for government subsidies and market access relief.
The soilless culture market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides soilless culture market statistics, including the soilless culture industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the soilless culture market share, detailed soilless culture market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the soilless culture industry. This soilless culture market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.
The soilless culture market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $9.83 billion in 2024 to $11.24 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4%. The growth in the historic period is linked to increasing demand for high-yield food production, rising adoption of urban agriculture, growing focus on pesticide-free cultivation, a surge in commercial greenhouse farming, the expansion of high-value crop cultivation, and increasing consumer preference for premium fresh produce.
The soilless culture market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $19.01 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.0%. The growth in the forecast period is expected to result from growing investment in controlled-environment farming, rising emphasis on climate-resilient agricultural practices, increasing demand for year-round crop supply, a surge in premium food retail chains promoting residue-free produce, the expansion of import-substitution fruit and vegetable production, and increasing focus on water-efficient farming methods. Major trends in the forecast period include technological advancements in fully automated vertical farms, progress in nutrient-delivery optimization, innovations in artificial-intelligence-based crop monitoring, developments in data-driven yield-prediction platforms, research and development in sustainable substrate formulations, and advancements in integrated farm management software.
The growing demand for sustainable farming is expected to drive the growth of the soilless culture market. Sustainable farming refers to agricultural practices aimed at protecting the environment, conserving water and soil resources, and reducing harmful inputs. The rise in sustainable farming is driven by stricter environmental regulations that encourage producers to reduce soil degradation, limit chemical use, and adopt cleaner cultivation methods to meet compliance standards. Soilless culture supports sustainable farming by enabling efficient resource utilization, with precise control over water, nutrients, and growing conditions. This reduces soil degradation and chemical runoff, minimizes land requirements, and promotes year-round, high-yield food production with a lower environmental impact and greater resilience to climate change. For example, in October 2025, the European Environment Agency (EEA), a Denmark-based EU environmental authority, reported that organic farming accounted for 10.8% of all agricultural land in the European Union in 2023. As a result, the growing demand for sustainable farming is driving the growth of the soilless culture market.
Major companies in the soilless culture market are focusing on incorporating technological innovations such as vertical surface planting. Vertical surface planting is an advanced soilless technique where plants are grown on engineered upright surfaces, allowing roots to receive controlled nutrient drips and optimized airflow, maximizing plant density in limited spaces. For example, in April 2024, Vertefarm, a US-based indoor hydroponic solutions provider, launched its Hydroponic Micro Plant Factory, a vertical surface planting system designed for high-density indoor leafy-green cultivation. The system features root cyclic drip irrigation, ultraviolet (UV) light water sanitation, and smart app-based controls (BLE and Wi-Fi). The Micro Plant Factory improves space efficiency, optimizes nutrient-water use, and automates growing management, supporting modern soilless environments in residential and small-scale commercial settings.
In June 2025, GrowGeneration Corporation, a US-based provider of hydroponic and organic gardening products, acquired Viagrow for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition gives GrowGeneration access to Viagrow's established big-box retail distribution network and eco-friendly soilless grow-media product lines, expanding its retail reach and enhancing its consumer-focused product offerings while improving market penetration and omni-channel scalability. Viagrow, a US-based company, specializes in soilless culture products.
Major players in the soilless culture market are AeroFarms LLC, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA ( through Cultilene), CANNA International BV, Green Sense Farms Holdings Inc, Urban Crop Solutions NV, Hydrofarm Holdings Group Inc, Orbia Advance Corporation SAB de CV ( through Netafim), Sky Urban Solutions Holding Pte. Ltd (through Sky Greens ), Spread Co Ltd, Mirai Co Ltd, Lufa Farms Inc, Priva BV, LettUs Grow Ltd, Living Greens Farm Inc, Village Farms International, AppHarvest Inc, Advanced Nutrients Holdings LLC, GrowGeneration Corporation, ROCKWOOL Group ( through Grodan), Jiffy Group BV.
North America was the largest region in the soilless culture market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in soilless culture report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.
The countries covered in the soilless culture market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The soilless culture market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as system installation, maintenance and repair, consulting and training, crop monitoring services, remote monitoring services, and nutrient formulation services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The soilless culture market also includes sales of nutrient dosing pumps, growing trays, water filtration units, fertigation units, mesh pots, and germination blankets. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Soilless Culture Global Market Report 2025 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses on soilless culture market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for soilless culture ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The soilless culture market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.