Unfortunately, progress in these areas of research remained stagnant until the first actual water culture experiments undertaken by a French agricultural scientist and chemist, Jean-Baptiste Boussingault (1801-1887)
Where around 1840. Boussingault had established the very first agricultural experiment station near Alsace, France, four years earlier and was responsible for many discoveries related to soil chemistry and plant nutrition. His experiments involved raising plants in various soil substitutes, including sand, ground quartz, and charcoal, which he irrigated with mineral nutrient solutions.
Jean-Baptiste Boussingault – Wikipedia>
Jean-Baptiste Boussingault – Britannica>
Jean-Baptiste Boussingault – British Agricultural History Society>