the wonderful world of growing. hydroponics – growing of plants without soil nutrients are...
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Hydroponics – Growing of plants without soil
Nutrients are delivered to the plant in an aqueous solution
The scope of gardening is expanded Hydroponics takes place on every
continent in some form for food or commercial use
Advantages
Higher crop yield Less water required Possibility to grow crops outside of
climate No need for crop rotation Continual growth throughout the
year Little risk of weeds or parasites
Disadvantages
Cost (initial cost) Higher maintenance (constant
supervision, pH testing, lighting adjustments)
Requires specialized knowledge and equipment
Six Systems of Hydroponics
Ebb and Flow Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Aeropnic Water Culture Wick Drip
Wick System
Wicks anchored in a medium stretch down to a reservoir and draw solution upward to reach the rootsDisadvantage
Plants don’t grow to full maturity because of limited aeration and root volume
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
NFT uses little or no medium and uses a continuous solution flow over the roots
Can produce large-scale crops cheaply in parts of the world where soil quality is poor
NFT can produce 106 times more lettuce annually on a 2.5 acre operation than by conventional farming
NFT Cont.
The greatest problem facing NFT has been root die back caused by inadequate oxygen in the area around the root system
This causes water stress which causes wilting and blossom end rot of fruit crops such as tomatoes
This system is susceptible to equipment failure and problems arise due to support of the plant
Ebb and Flow
The most popular system due to its low maintenance and low cost
Utilizes a growing bed full of medium that is flooded with solution and allowed to drain
Best suited for growing seedlings, transplants, and ornamental potted plants
Ebb and Flow Cont.
There is little risk of equipment failure because there is a growing medium that retains water and allows oxygen to get to the roots
Ebb & Flow systems allow for uniform fill and complete drainage during the irrigation cycle thus leading to uniformity in plant growth
This type of system can be made automatic with the use of computers
Drip System
Drip systems use pumps to carry the solution to the medium, and gravity to drain it back to a reservoir
These are reliable, require low maintenance and can withstand short term equipment failure because of the growing medium
They are suitable for large scale growing of all types of plants
Drip System Cont.
A disadvantage of the drip system is that it is expensive and difficult to set up
Drip systems can use a variety of growing mediums and are available in a wide range of configurations
Aeroponics
Uses sprayers to bathe the roots with a nutrient-oxygen mist
Plants are artificially suspended Used most widely in lab studies, but
not for large-scale commercial use due to expense of setup and maintenance
Aeroponics Cont.
NASA has experimented with the combination of Aeroponics and NFT in order to conserve nutrients for the use of hydroponics in space
The chief advantage of this type of system is efficient utilization of greenhouse space by arranging the plants vertically
A disadvantage of Aeroponics is regulating the consistency of the sprayers to assure constant nutrient flow
Nutrients Solutions
The key to success of a hydroponics system
Contains various combos of nutrients specifically engineered to mimic those in soil
Made up of: Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, and Copper
Nutrients Solutions Cont.
Nitrogen – Production of leaves and growth of stem
Phosphorous – Development of flowers, fruits, leaves and stems and growth of roots
Calcium – Spurs root growth and helps plant absorb potassium
Magnesium – Helps distribute phosphorous throughout the plant
Nutrients Solutions Cont.
Sulfur – Heightens the effectiveness of phosphorous and used in the production of energy
Iron – Important in the production of chlorophyll
Manganese – Aids in the absorption of nitrogen
Zinc – Necessary in the transfer of energy Copper – Needed in the production of
chlorophyll
pH Values
The acidity or alkalinity of the nutrient solution
pH readings are from 0-14 0-6 acidic, 7 neutral, 8-14 alkaline
The recommended pH is between 6-6.5
pH Value Affects
Affected by many factors Temperature Amount of light Evaporation Type of plant Amount of nutrients
Checking the pH level of the solution is vital to healthy plant growth
Adjusting pH Level
Adjusting the pH level of the nutrient solution can be done simply Add baking soda to neutralize an acidic
solution Add white vinegar to neutralize a basic
solution
Resources/Bibliography
Boak, Robert. "Hydroponics" PowerShow. PowerShow, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.
Dayton, Marisol. "An Overview on Types of Hydroponic Systems." Helium. Helium, 25 July 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.
"Sustainable Farming - Types of Hydroponic Systems." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.