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NEWS
Insect-Free Vegetables Grown Hydroponically
by N. Katzin
A unique, computerized hydroponic growing method promises 100
percent insect-free vegetables without spraying. The
innovative agricultural technique was developed by Bodek,
which is under the mehadrin kashrus supervision of the
Jerusalem Rabbinate's Department for Mitzvos Haaretz and the
Center for Torah-Based Agriculture headed by HaRav Yosef
Efrati.
The technique is based on hydroponic plant growing, which is
used experimentally in different parts of the world and is
now being implemented commercially for the first time.
According to the hydroponic method, vegetables are grown in
water containers completely detached from the ground, with a
computerized system to deliver minerals via the water.
One of the major advantages of hydroponic farming is that it
eliminates the need for insecticides. While regular
commercial vegetables and insect-free vegetables currently on
the market require spraying to ward off pests, the vegetables
grown through the new technique are completely free of
insecticide residue--like organic vegetables but without the
high prices and without all the insects with which they are
often infested.
HaRav Shlomo Shmuelevitz, director of the Department for
Mitzvot Haaretz at the Jerusalem Rabbinate, confirmed that
the hydroponic vegetables are 100 percent insect-free and
require no rinsing, unlike today's "insect-free vegetables"
which are grown in sealed hothouses but must be rinsed before
use. "In light of the clear advantages of the new technique
we saw an obligation to assist in the new development, which
has many advantages for the chareidi public," he said.
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