# NFT

> NFT (nutrient film technique) runs a thin, continuous film of nutrient solution along sloped channels, with roots resting in the stream and exposed to air above.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nft.html
- Also written: nutrient film technique, nutrient film, NFT channel, NFT gully, gully system
- Glossary category: Systems and media · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

The nutrient film technique is a [recirculating](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/recirculating-system.md) hydroponic system in which plants sit in channels (gullies) set at a slight slope. A pump delivers solution to the high end, a shallow film flows past the roots and [drains](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/runoff.md) back to a reservoir. Roots form a mat on the channel floor, wetted below and in air above.

## In practice

NFT is the standard for lettuce and herbs and is used for tomatoes commercially, but it is less forgiving with cannabis. A large cannabis root mass can dam the channel, and if the pump stops, the thin film offers almost no buffer, so roots can dry within minutes. Growers who use it run wider channels, steeper slopes, short runs and backup power or alarms. Typical slopes in vegetable NFT are around 1:30 to 1:100.

## Don't confuse with

- **Ebb and flow**: floods and drains periodically rather than flowing continuously.
- **DWC**: roots fully submerged in deep, aerated solution.

## Related terms

[Recirculating system](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/recirculating-system.md), [Reservoir](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/reservoir.md), [DWC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dwc.md), [Root zone](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/root-zone.md)

## Read more

- [Nutrient film technique (NFT)](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/systems/nft.md)

## Sources

1. Resh HM, 2022. Hydroponic Food Production, 8th ed. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003133254