Alex Black Grad Paper 2

Alex Black Period 1 Mrs. Bissonnette 24 February, 2009 Hydroponic Effects on Farming

Hydroponics is the most efficient method of farming during severe droughts and in places where other growing methods are not accessible. Currently in the United States, farmers are looking to implement hydroponics because of the severe droughts. The execution of hydroponic techniques can conserve vast amounts of water while feeding a very large population. The literal definition of hydroponics is “water labor” coming from the Greek words “hydro-ponos”. The concept of hydroponics is simple, allowing the plants to grow by constantly supplying the roots with water, oxygen, and nutrients, while using no soil. Yields are so large that “a small hydroponic grower with just 5,500 square ft. of greenhouse space can grow as much as 50,000 lbs. of premium produce” (“Hydroponics Online”). The issue of water usage and slow growing times are two of the main concerns of farmers. Hydroponics, while now a new concept, has been proven to solve these problems. Many farmers are now starting to convert to hydroponics because it is easy to implement, and proves to be profitable. Hydroponics effects the growth of crops by increasing the growth and using far less water comparatively speaking to soil-growing methods. All plants, regardless of the medium used, require water to survive. Hydroponics takes more work to maintain than soil grown crops, but plants grow much faster. The reason that plants can grow faster hydroponically is because they can obtain nutrients quicker. “They are able to take in food as fast as they are able to utilize it” (“GTG Hydroponics”). Some people dislike using hydroponics due to the accelerated plant growth. A novice gardener can find themselves overwhelmed if using too complex of a system. Hydroponics is a universal language.

Black 2 Skills gained from using smaller, less complicated systems are transferrable to any type of larger more complex system.

In the past farmer have used naturally mineral-rich water sources to implement forms of hydroponics. “Plants have grown in our lakes and oceans from the beginning of time but, as a farming practice, many believe it started out in the ancient city of Babylon” (“Hydroponics Online”). Many hieroglyphic records along the Nile have shown that people had grown plants in water without using soil. “In the 11’th century, the Aztecs of Central America.. practiced hydroponics out of necessity. Soil was taken from the bottom of Lake Tenochtitlan and placed onto rafts made of rushes, and weeds.” “Plants were placed on top of the soil. The plants grew through the soil down into the water below” (“Hydroponics Online”). During World War II “the US Air Force built the first large hydroponic farms” on islands in the Pacific. “These hydroponic farms helped fill the need for a fresh supply of fresh vegetables to troops stationed in these areas” (“Hydroponics Online”). Many people can benefit from the use of hydroponics in our society.

Hydroponics is easy to implement. There are many different ways to make a hydroponics system. The most basic and simplest method of implementation is a Deep Water Culture (DWC) system. This is the best method of implementation for novice hydroponic growers. It is used mainly by growers who only intend to grow a small amount of plants. “This technique is cheap and works well, however, is high maintenance and not very easy to manage” (Winterborne, Jeffrey, “Hydroponic Indoor Horticulture”).

Black 3 The DWC method requires an air pump to bubble air through the nutrient solution and provide oxygen to the roots. A downside to this method is that the pump must be on for 24 hours a day, or the roots will become waterlogged and deprived of oxygen. Aeroponic systems, a derivative of hydroponics, use no air pump and do not require oxygen to be constantly fed to the roots. The way aeroponics works is they use water pumps and sprayer to mist the roots with a nutrient solution. This is done on a time schedule to allow the roots to air out to keep from rotting, and obtain oxygen. Little growing medium is required to implement this system which can greatly reduce operating costs. A method that requires a medium to implement is the Ebb & Flow technique. “An Ebb & Flow system consists of a growing bed in which individual containers filled with medium hold” the “plant’s root systems”. “The growing bed is flooded periodically to feed and water the plants and allowed to drain freely to pull oxygen into the root zone” (“GTG Hydroponics”). The Ebb & Flow is low maintenance, and high productivity, so it is well liked among all users of hydroponics. Another system that is also low maintenance is a top feed or drip system. Top feed or drip systems operate by using pumps to deliver nutrient solution to the top of a growing medium, where the solution trickles through the medium and back to the reservoir.

Another equally popular method of hydroponics is the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). The “nutrient film technique ensures a continuous flow of nutrient laden solution over the root system, allowing the plants to feed constantly, resulting in increased productivity and yield” (“GTG Hydroponics”). Little to no medium is used, which cuts down on operating costs, “but because of the lack of medium to act as a buffer, plants may suffer if a long-term power failure occurs” (“GTG Hydroponics”).

Black 4 Plants also require certain types of media or aggregate. Media is a term used to define the material in which the roots are suspended (whether it be soil, peat moss, or some other type of material). The most commonly used mediums in hydroponics are rockwool, expanded clay aggregate, perlite, and coconut fiber. All of these allow ample water and oxygen to reach the roots and keep the plant in place. Along with water and oxygen “over twenty elements are needed for a plant to grow” (“GTG Hydroponics”). Nutrients allow the plants to perform all their functions. “In the presence of oxygen and water, the nutrients are absorbed through the root hairs” (“GTG Hydroponics”). Many nutrients are already available when in soil, but they must be added when using hydroponics. Hydroponics itself proves that soil isn’t required for plant growth, but the nutrients are. Soil is simply a holder for the roots and nutrients, and a base of support for the plant structure.

Hydroponics has recently been looked at as an easy way to help feed the hungry, and lessen the impact of severe droughts. In New Mexico, a water-efficient greenhouse was made solely to help during droughts:

“The greenhouse covers less ground than a tennis court, but it can supply enough food to support 50 to 100 cows, using about 1 percent of the water required by crops grown open fields, and a fraction of the land” (Nijhuis, Michelle, On Earth. Student Resource Center – Gold).

Black 5 The only drawback that throws farmers off is that hydroponics is three times more expensive than traditional field raised crops. Hydroponic techniques are also being used to help the impoverished. In Zimbabwe missionaries have been set up to help feed local families that are malnourished and starving. At a project set up at St. Werburg’s in Zimbabwe in 1996, hydroponics has drastically helped feed the population in the village. “At St. Werburg’s today, no child is suffering malnutrition’s devastation, with no reports in over three years” (“Institute for Simplified Hydroponics”). Much of the leftover food produced in these projects that is not used, is sold to neighboring towns and cities.

In wealthy countries, commercial use of hydroponics is slowly becoming in demand. Commercial hydroponic growers have doubled the amount of crops, comparatively to commercial soil grown crops. Growing crops hydroponically is expensive to implement, but given the increased growth rates, higher yields, lower water consumption, and required space, it can be quite profitable. Today, consumers are willing to pay a premium price for produce that is safe and free of harmful pesticides and herbicides. Using hydroponic technology in a controlled environment is an ideal solution that can fulfill this demand. A commercial hydroponic grower will spend most of their time running tests on the nutrients, and pH. The gathering of this information helps the growers know what nutrients to give the plants, and when they should give them more. This helps them keep optimum growing conditions at all times.

Black 6 While hydroponics still is more expensive than soil grown methods to implement, it is less costly in the long run. Hydroponics can be meticulous with daily monitoring of crops, but it can also be very rewarding. If crops are commercially grown using hydroponics, profit can increase dramatically. Hydroponics is environmentally friendly and yields foods that are pesticide and herbicide free. By using hydroponics one eliminates all soil usage and soil-borne disease. A fraction of the water is used and less space is consumed.