Pumice has a wide range of uses in the field of agriculture and the greenhouse because of the important features such as production and business convenience, has abundant and cheap supply, high water-holding capacity, balancing the moisture of the environment by giving water to the environment gradually (little by little), not containing harmful chemical compounds. It is one of the options referred as a remedy for drought in agriculture in most developed countries. It provides a continuously moister environment for a long time by preservig the water in its structure. Improving soil water retention (hydroculture) is very important especially for regions with water problems. On the other hand when it comes to the use of liquid fertilizer as well as pumice sent down loss of fertilizer to minimum it also prevents the pollution of underground water resources.

Having 85% of the porous causes pumice stone showing the light density characteristics. Even the smallest unit of pumice stone is filled with many various sizes of pores. Pumice stone aerates the soil by making it more porous. Also it is used for the purpose of improvement of soil properties and to prevent artificial fertilizers becoming lumpy.

Pumice is used as the soil in greenhouses, citrus growing areas, fruit fields, grass fields and in all agricultural regionsas and has an excellent application results. Continuous and intensive production in greenhouse conditions leads many problems such as soil exhaustion at using growth medium, salinity, drainage failure, increased disease and pests.

 It has an increasing interest for firstly the landless agricultural technology in Western European countries and in our country in recent years with a view to a solution to the problems stated. Advantages that pumice provides in agriculture are; provides excellent aeration, can be used over and over again, preshrunk and not get lumpy, easy to food regulation control, not keep facts such as mushrooms and insects, irrigates easily, not decay, not produce bad smells, pH is neutral (6-7), provides good drainage, can be applicated to landless agricultural, all kinds of agricultural production, stagnant or flowing nutrient solutions, in solid growth medium enriched by  nutrient solutions.

In other words, the terraculture in soil-free environments is named as landless agricultural in general meanings. The condition of a succesfull production is using a good growth medium. The culture media that is used must include proper aeration and drainage provides root growth and metabolism with adequate amounts of water and nutrients that the plant easily takes. Growth medium or materials can be used alone as well as mixture.

These materials provides using the environment more productive and more efficient by both physical and chemical properties. The materials that will be used alone or as a mixture must have some features. These should provide adequate aeration for the plant root system. The plant's roots aeration must not be a problem even after intensive irrigation. Must have adequate water-holding capacity and held water must be hold in low tansion. Must be stable to physical, chemical, biological changes. Must be purified from seeds, diseases and pests. Must not contain substances that is capable of toxic effect. Must have homogeneous characteristics, must be provided required amount of when needed homogeneously. In addition to these cases the material’s cation exchange capacity and buffered capacity values extremely important which is used in landless agricultural.

Why landless agricultural?

Today, many countries (Netherlands, United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, etc.) agriculture the production of greenhouse landless. That can be said, rapid population growth is the biggest cause of this. For the other reasons; loss of agricultural lands, Erosion, Desertification, residental and tourism areas can be said. Pumice Usage at land reclamation: agricultural lands containing especially heavy textured, clay, much capable of swelling compressible soil and the greenhouses are unsuitable areas for germination and plant’s root growth. This type of pumice is used in order to make these lands available. These materials called soil regulators are consumed significantly at farming high-income a amount of ornamental crops and greenhouse plants.                            

Pumice provides the soil taking air, germination and rooting in an environment and also provides balance of soil moisture. Prevention of plant root rot during irrigation by holding much water inside, reduction of  loss of the fertilizers and minerals carried to root as a solution to a minimum,  conservation of soil moisture content for a long time by balancing soil-moisture between the particles of pumice and soil by reduction of the water can be achieved by appropriate size of pumice.

Use of Pumice at Plant Growing in Less Ground or Soilless Mediums

Ornamental plants, vegetables and fruits can be grown at the environments that is formed from pumice up to 80% of the amount supported by mineral, fertilizer, compost residues, etc. In addition, pumice is also used at storing ornamental plants bulbs at frozen environments. Especially it is widely used in growing ornamental plants in pots around the world.

Use of Pumice at a Limited Watered Agricultural - Green Area  

Especially in hot climate areas loss of water increases due to high evaporation at surface-irrigated agricultural-green areas and greenhouses. In the countries with limited water resources pumice usage is increasing for the purpose of minimizing water consumption, increasing the efficiency of consumption, minimizing the amount of alcali which is increasing as a result of evaporation especially in calcareous water. The upper layer of soil (depending on the type of plant) is taking off in a certain depth a drainage layer is formed under the soil by spreading and padding the pumice and re-covering the soil. In this application which the irrigation can be made directly through pipes through this layer, soil takes the necessary water inside from the pumice layer and it reaches the plant roots in this way. By the irrigation which is done in this way evaporation of irrigation is minimizes, consumption of water is decreased and in addition to that irrigation can be done at any time of day. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar and countries like that which has limited water resources and fertile lands can be shown as the best practice examples.