Which scientist pioneered the use of hydroponics in the early 20th century?

William Frederick Gericke pioneered the use of hydroponics for agricultural crop production in the early 20th century. Although scientists had grown plants in nutrient solutions before him, Gericke helped turn the laboratory technique into a practical farming idea.

In 1929, Gericke, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, began publicly promoting “aquiculture,” his early name for growing crops without soil in mineral nutrient solutions. He famously demonstrated the method by growing tomato vines about 25 feet high. In 1937, he adopted the term “hydroponics,” formed from Greek words meaning water and cultivation. His 1940 book, Complete Guide to Soilless Gardening, published nutrient formulas and helped spread the method.

The broader scientific history is older. Francis Bacon described soilless plant growing in 1627, John Woodward conducted water-culture experiments in 1699, and Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop advanced plant nutrition research in the 19th century. Those figures are important predecessors, but Gericke is the canonical answer for pioneering modern agricultural hydroponics.