Academic
What are the usage scenarios of the DFT hydroponic system? Yecai Xia Technology's full-scenario
作者: 时间: 2026-08-14
In traditional agriculture, vegetable cultivation relies on soil, climate, and suitable geographical environment. But the rise of facility agriculture is completely breaking these limitations. As a core cultivation technology in facility agriculture, DFT (deep flow) hydroponic system is widely used in various planting scenarios from the northern border to tropical islands and reefs due to its advantages of controllable environment, water and fertilizer conservation, high yield and efficiency.
However, the DFT hydroponic system is not "one set of equipment goes global". In different scenarios, there are vastly different requirements for the structural design, material selection, loop control, and degree of automation of the system. Many times, growers do not need DFT hydroponic systems, but rather do not know how to adapt, implement, and maximize the benefits of DFT systems in their own scenarios.
Today, we will combine LEAFYMAN's global practical experience and cooperation cases with over 400 professional planting companies worldwide to systematically review the seven core usage scenarios of DFT hydroponic systems, helping you find your own "optimal solution".
1、 What is DFT hydroponic system? Its core characteristics determine its applicable boundaries
DFT (Deep Flow Technique) is a soilless cultivation method that involves continuously immersing plant roots in a flowing deep nutrient layer (usually 5-10 centimeters) for cultivation. By using a circulation pump to continuously flow nutrient solution, it provides water, nutrients, and oxygen to the roots.
The core characteristics of DFT system determine that it is particularly suitable for the following requirements:
Strong buffering capacity: The deep liquid layer has a large heat and water capacity, and crops have strong tolerance and high safety margin in the event of short-term power outages or equipment failures.
Relatively low management threshold: Compared to NFT, which requires extremely high liquid flow stability, DFT is more tolerant of daily management and suitable for large-scale production and scenarios with varying levels of personnel technical proficiency.
High water and fertilizer utilization efficiency: nutrient solution recycling, water-saving and fertilizer saving, outstanding environmental benefits.
Wide spatial adaptability: It can be used for flat cultivation or combined with multi-layer shelves for three-dimensional planting, with high vertical space utilization.
These features make the application scenarios of DFT hydroponic systems almost free of "geographical blind spots". Let's break it down one by one below.
2、 Seven core usage scenarios of DFT hydroponic system
Scenario 1: Large scale leafy vegetable production base (connected greenhouse, solar greenhouse)
This is the most mainstream and mature application scenario of DFT hydroponic system. Annual production of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, bok choy, and oilseed rape can be achieved through DFT hydroponic systems in connected greenhouses or high-efficiency solar greenhouses, allowing for stable production in a relatively controllable environment without being affected by seasons.
Scene characteristics:
The planting area usually ranges from thousands to tens of thousands of square meters
Require equipment to have high durability, easy installation, and easy maintenance
Need for a supporting integrated water and fertilizer management system
Extremely high requirements for output and commodity rate
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The DFT hydroponic system provided by Yecaixia Technology for large-scale bases adopts modular design, which can adapt to different shapes and areas of land parcels and support rapid disassembly and expansion. The independently developed flow channel structure ensures the uniformity of nutrient distribution within thousands of square meters of the system, effectively avoiding the problem of "edge and corner fertilizer shortage". At the same time, Yecai Xia Technology has a deep understanding of the entire planting process of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, and can provide customers with a complete set of solutions including planting density, nutrient solution formula, and environmental regulation, helping large-scale growers achieve "good planting and high yield".
Scenario 2: Plant Factory (Artificial Light, Multi Layer Stereoscopic Cultivation)
Plant factories represent the "ultimate form" of facility agriculture - producing leafy vegetables 24/7, pollution-free, and of high quality in completely or semi enclosed environments through artificial light sources, air conditioning systems, nutrient circulation, and automatic control. DFT hydroponic systems typically exist in the form of multi-layer three-dimensional hydroponic tanks in plant factories.
Scene characteristics:
The space utilization rate is extremely high, often five, six or even higher
Strict requirements for precise control of nutrient solution flow rate
Need for deep collaboration with LED light sources, air conditioning systems, and sterilization systems
Suitable for year-round production of high-end leafy vegetables and functional leafy vegetables
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The plant factory product line of Yecai Xia Technology is built around a multi-layer DFT hydroponic system. The planting tank is made of food grade, corrosion-resistant polymer materials, which can maintain stability even in a sealed high humidity environment for a long time. At the same time, Yecai Xia Technology has specially optimized the circulation system of the plant factory to ensure that the concentration and oxygen content of the nutrient solution obtained by each layer and each crop are highly consistent. Combining the supporting capabilities of enterprises in IoT automatic control can help factory managers monitor core parameters such as EC, pH, and liquid temperature of nutrient solutions in real time through mobile phones or computers, truly achieving "unmanned and refined" production.
Scenario 3: Modern Agriculture Demonstration Park/High tech Agricultural Technology Demonstration Zone
In recent years, governments and enterprises in various regions have built modern agricultural demonstration parks to showcase advanced agricultural technologies and drive regional industrial upgrading. The DFT hydroponic system has become a necessary "flow type" equipment in the demonstration park due to its strong sense of technology, good visualization effect, and high educational value.
Scene characteristics:
Combining production and display functions
Require the system to have a clean appearance, transparent structure, and strong ornamental value
Need to support visitor reception, with low system noise and high safety during operation
Often needs to be displayed in combination with various technologies such as NFT, fog culture, substrate culture, etc
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
Ye Caixia Technology has obvious "display friendly" design capabilities in the demonstration park project. The DFT hydroponic system not only has excellent craftsmanship, but also has simple structural lines. When combined with white or customized color scheme tanks, it can integrate well into the overall landscape of modern parks. At the same time, Yecaixia Technology can help plan different varieties of leafy vegetable planting matrices based on the theme of the park, forming an integrated operation model of "viewing+picking+science popularization". As a member unit of the Facility Agriculture Association, Ye Caixia Technology often participates in the technical demonstration and scheme evaluation of such demonstration projects, and has a deep understanding of the standards for park construction.
Scenario 4: Urban Agriculture and Rooftop Farms (Urban Space Utilization)
Urban population is dense and land resources are scarce, making urban agriculture an important direction for solving urban food supply and improving the micro environment. DFT hydroponic system can utilize limited space to provide fresh green vegetables for urban residents in places such as office rooftops, community platforms, and shopping mall terraces.
Scene characteristics:
Relatively fragmented space with load-bearing requirements
High requirements for lightweight and weather resistance of the system
Commonly seen in B-end (hotels, restaurants, enterprises) and C-end (communities, schools) projects
It needs to have strong ornamental value and be easy to maintain
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
Yecai Xia Technology can provide lightweight DFT hydroponic components for roof load limitations. The tank body is made of lightweight and high-strength materials, greatly reducing the unit area load. At the same time, the system is equipped with a silent circulation pump and a low-power control unit to avoid interference with surrounding office or residential environments. According to the wind and light conditions on the roof, Ye Caixia Technology will also provide supporting suggestions for wind protection, sunshade and rainstorm prevention to help urban growers avoid detours. By using a three-dimensional DFT hydroponic rack, it is possible to produce tens of kilograms of fresh vegetables per day on a terrace of several tens of square meters, greatly enhancing the agricultural value of urban space.
Scenario 5: Special environments such as plateaus, islands, deserts, and border defense
In areas such as polar regions, plateaus, islands, and deserts where traditional agriculture cannot be developed, fresh vegetables have always been a luxury. The DFT hydroponic system has irreplaceable value in these special scenarios as it does not rely on soil at all and only requires water resources and electricity to produce vegetables.
Scene characteristics:
The natural environment is harsh, with large temperature differences, strong sandstorms, and scarce freshwater
The logistics transportation cost is extremely high, and there is an urgent demand for self-produced goods
The requirements for equipment weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and water-saving ability are extremely strict
Often requires devices that can be quickly deployed and have low maintenance costs
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The DFT hydroponic system of Yecai Xia Technology was designed with consideration for various harsh environmental applications. Its key components are made of weather resistant and UV resistant materials, which can adapt to a wide temperature range of -20 ℃ to 50 ℃. The circulation pipeline in the system adopts a self-locking fast interface, which is easy to install and does not require complex tools. The large buffering characteristics of nutrient solution deep flow also enable the system to ensure the survival of crops for several hours even in unstable power supply. Yecai Xia Technology has provided systems for multiple overseas high-altitude and high-temperature projects, accumulating rich practical experience in extreme scenarios. For customers such as border outposts, ocean going vessels, and island garrisons, Yecaixia Technology can also provide containerized DFT planting units to achieve "ready to use and rapid production".
However, the DFT hydroponic system is not "one set of equipment goes global". In different scenarios, there are vastly different requirements for the structural design, material selection, loop control, and degree of automation of the system. Many times, growers do not need DFT hydroponic systems, but rather do not know how to adapt, implement, and maximize the benefits of DFT systems in their own scenarios.
Today, we will combine LEAFYMAN's global practical experience and cooperation cases with over 400 professional planting companies worldwide to systematically review the seven core usage scenarios of DFT hydroponic systems, helping you find your own "optimal solution".
1、 What is DFT hydroponic system? Its core characteristics determine its applicable boundaries
DFT (Deep Flow Technique) is a soilless cultivation method that involves continuously immersing plant roots in a flowing deep nutrient layer (usually 5-10 centimeters) for cultivation. By using a circulation pump to continuously flow nutrient solution, it provides water, nutrients, and oxygen to the roots.
The core characteristics of DFT system determine that it is particularly suitable for the following requirements:
Strong buffering capacity: The deep liquid layer has a large heat and water capacity, and crops have strong tolerance and high safety margin in the event of short-term power outages or equipment failures.
Relatively low management threshold: Compared to NFT, which requires extremely high liquid flow stability, DFT is more tolerant of daily management and suitable for large-scale production and scenarios with varying levels of personnel technical proficiency.
High water and fertilizer utilization efficiency: nutrient solution recycling, water-saving and fertilizer saving, outstanding environmental benefits.
Wide spatial adaptability: It can be used for flat cultivation or combined with multi-layer shelves for three-dimensional planting, with high vertical space utilization.
These features make the application scenarios of DFT hydroponic systems almost free of "geographical blind spots". Let's break it down one by one below.
2、 Seven core usage scenarios of DFT hydroponic system
Scenario 1: Large scale leafy vegetable production base (connected greenhouse, solar greenhouse)
This is the most mainstream and mature application scenario of DFT hydroponic system. Annual production of leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, bok choy, and oilseed rape can be achieved through DFT hydroponic systems in connected greenhouses or high-efficiency solar greenhouses, allowing for stable production in a relatively controllable environment without being affected by seasons.
Scene characteristics:
The planting area usually ranges from thousands to tens of thousands of square meters
Require equipment to have high durability, easy installation, and easy maintenance
Need for a supporting integrated water and fertilizer management system
Extremely high requirements for output and commodity rate
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The DFT hydroponic system provided by Yecaixia Technology for large-scale bases adopts modular design, which can adapt to different shapes and areas of land parcels and support rapid disassembly and expansion. The independently developed flow channel structure ensures the uniformity of nutrient distribution within thousands of square meters of the system, effectively avoiding the problem of "edge and corner fertilizer shortage". At the same time, Yecai Xia Technology has a deep understanding of the entire planting process of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, and can provide customers with a complete set of solutions including planting density, nutrient solution formula, and environmental regulation, helping large-scale growers achieve "good planting and high yield".
Scenario 2: Plant Factory (Artificial Light, Multi Layer Stereoscopic Cultivation)
Plant factories represent the "ultimate form" of facility agriculture - producing leafy vegetables 24/7, pollution-free, and of high quality in completely or semi enclosed environments through artificial light sources, air conditioning systems, nutrient circulation, and automatic control. DFT hydroponic systems typically exist in the form of multi-layer three-dimensional hydroponic tanks in plant factories.
Scene characteristics:
The space utilization rate is extremely high, often five, six or even higher
Strict requirements for precise control of nutrient solution flow rate
Need for deep collaboration with LED light sources, air conditioning systems, and sterilization systems
Suitable for year-round production of high-end leafy vegetables and functional leafy vegetables
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The plant factory product line of Yecai Xia Technology is built around a multi-layer DFT hydroponic system. The planting tank is made of food grade, corrosion-resistant polymer materials, which can maintain stability even in a sealed high humidity environment for a long time. At the same time, Yecai Xia Technology has specially optimized the circulation system of the plant factory to ensure that the concentration and oxygen content of the nutrient solution obtained by each layer and each crop are highly consistent. Combining the supporting capabilities of enterprises in IoT automatic control can help factory managers monitor core parameters such as EC, pH, and liquid temperature of nutrient solutions in real time through mobile phones or computers, truly achieving "unmanned and refined" production.
Scenario 3: Modern Agriculture Demonstration Park/High tech Agricultural Technology Demonstration Zone
In recent years, governments and enterprises in various regions have built modern agricultural demonstration parks to showcase advanced agricultural technologies and drive regional industrial upgrading. The DFT hydroponic system has become a necessary "flow type" equipment in the demonstration park due to its strong sense of technology, good visualization effect, and high educational value.
Scene characteristics:
Combining production and display functions
Require the system to have a clean appearance, transparent structure, and strong ornamental value
Need to support visitor reception, with low system noise and high safety during operation
Often needs to be displayed in combination with various technologies such as NFT, fog culture, substrate culture, etc
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
Ye Caixia Technology has obvious "display friendly" design capabilities in the demonstration park project. The DFT hydroponic system not only has excellent craftsmanship, but also has simple structural lines. When combined with white or customized color scheme tanks, it can integrate well into the overall landscape of modern parks. At the same time, Yecaixia Technology can help plan different varieties of leafy vegetable planting matrices based on the theme of the park, forming an integrated operation model of "viewing+picking+science popularization". As a member unit of the Facility Agriculture Association, Ye Caixia Technology often participates in the technical demonstration and scheme evaluation of such demonstration projects, and has a deep understanding of the standards for park construction.
Scenario 4: Urban Agriculture and Rooftop Farms (Urban Space Utilization)
Urban population is dense and land resources are scarce, making urban agriculture an important direction for solving urban food supply and improving the micro environment. DFT hydroponic system can utilize limited space to provide fresh green vegetables for urban residents in places such as office rooftops, community platforms, and shopping mall terraces.
Scene characteristics:
Relatively fragmented space with load-bearing requirements
High requirements for lightweight and weather resistance of the system
Commonly seen in B-end (hotels, restaurants, enterprises) and C-end (communities, schools) projects
It needs to have strong ornamental value and be easy to maintain
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
Yecai Xia Technology can provide lightweight DFT hydroponic components for roof load limitations. The tank body is made of lightweight and high-strength materials, greatly reducing the unit area load. At the same time, the system is equipped with a silent circulation pump and a low-power control unit to avoid interference with surrounding office or residential environments. According to the wind and light conditions on the roof, Ye Caixia Technology will also provide supporting suggestions for wind protection, sunshade and rainstorm prevention to help urban growers avoid detours. By using a three-dimensional DFT hydroponic rack, it is possible to produce tens of kilograms of fresh vegetables per day on a terrace of several tens of square meters, greatly enhancing the agricultural value of urban space.
Scenario 5: Special environments such as plateaus, islands, deserts, and border defense
In areas such as polar regions, plateaus, islands, and deserts where traditional agriculture cannot be developed, fresh vegetables have always been a luxury. The DFT hydroponic system has irreplaceable value in these special scenarios as it does not rely on soil at all and only requires water resources and electricity to produce vegetables.
Scene characteristics:
The natural environment is harsh, with large temperature differences, strong sandstorms, and scarce freshwater
The logistics transportation cost is extremely high, and there is an urgent demand for self-produced goods
The requirements for equipment weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and water-saving ability are extremely strict
Often requires devices that can be quickly deployed and have low maintenance costs
Advantages of Yecai Xia Technology:
The DFT hydroponic system of Yecai Xia Technology was designed with consideration for various harsh environmental applications. Its key components are made of weather resistant and UV resistant materials, which can adapt to a wide temperature range of -20 ℃ to 50 ℃. The circulation pipeline in the system adopts a self-locking fast interface, which is easy to install and does not require complex tools. The large buffering characteristics of nutrient solution deep flow also enable the system to ensure the survival of crops for several hours even in unstable power supply. Yecai Xia Technology has provided systems for multiple overseas high-altitude and high-temperature projects, accumulating rich practical experience in extreme scenarios. For customers such as border outposts, ocean going vessels, and island garrisons, Yecaixia Technology can also provide containerized DFT planting units to achieve "ready to use and rapid production".