Hydroponics: Eco-Friendly, Soil-Less Agriculture
As the name suggests, hydroponics has more to do with water than with anything else. Hydroponics consists of two words – ‘hydro’, meaning water, and ‘ponics’, meaning work. It is a form of agriculture where plants grow in the water rather than in soil, eliminating the need for land. As with the soil, where you need fertilizers, hydroponics uses water infused with necessary nutrients required for plants to grow.
Depending on the type of hydroponic system, the plant’s roots are either suspended in, flooded with, or misted with nutrient-rich solutions to provide them with the necessary elements for their healthy growth.
Several hydroponics stores have come up in all major cities that specialize in helping people use the method to grow food at their convenience. There are also online hydroponics stores that offer essential products like nutrients, garden accessories, lights & ballasts etc.
Examples of Hydroponics Systems
Companies like this one have state-of-the-art facilities in North America and Europe where researchers develop products, solutions, and systems to help you care for your plants in a way that delivers the best possible results.
General Hydroponics also offers advanced systems powered by solar energy as well as filtration products that make the most of organic components and nutrient formulations.
RimWorld is an indie space colony management game from Ludeon Studios, a Montreal-based game studio founded by Tynan Sylvester. The game has a futuristic setting with a randomly-generated story on an alien planet. The objective is to manage and expand a colony of people. One large aspect of game-play is hydroponics. The colony uses this system for their food. The idea is to grow food faster since more food would help expand the colony.
Benefits of Hydroponics
1. Enables crop production in various climates
Given diverse climates across the world, hydroponics expands crop options for many regions. For example, Arizona and Israel have arid conditions and depend on hydroponics to enjoy locally-grown produce. Some countries or regions that do not receive consistent sunlight or have warm weather can also benefit from hydroponics. Examples are Alaska and Russia. There, they use hydroponic greenhouses with controlled lighting and temperature for better crop production.
2. Saves space in urban settings
Hydroponic systems take up only 20% of the land compared to traditional farming. In dense urban areas like Tokyo with multi-level apartment buildings and offices at every turn, land comes at a premium. Hydroponics helps people in these cities grow plants in limited spaces. This system also provides options for growing crops underground, on rooftops, and in greenhouses. Hydroponics also benefits remote areas like Bermuda that have limited space for farming.
3. Reduced water usage
Hydroponics systems require only around 10% of the water that soil-based agriculture requires. They also waste much less water, as they recycle and reuse water. In places facing water scarcity like India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, hydroponics can largely help them grow crops.
4. Reduced nutrient and fertilizer usage
These systems require only around 25% of the nutrients and fertilizers that soil-based plants need.
5. Little-to-no pesticide use
Due to more controlled cultivation environments, crops grown in hydroponic systems need fewer or even no pesticides to keep out pests.
6. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Hydroponic systems also reduce emissions because regions can grow crops locally instead of relying on imported harvests. This reduces emissions from food transportation.
7. Shorter harvest time
Unlike traditional farming that is dependent on weather and climatic conditions for plant growth, hydroponics gives plants direct access to water and nutrients. This results in shorter harvest time, about half the time as traditional agriculture.
Drawbacks of Hydroponic Farming
1. High costs
Though hydroponics is typically cheaper in the long run, it does require a substantial upfront cost, especially to establish a large-scale system
2. Possible power failure
Power failures can affect the functionality of pumps, thus damaging the crops.
Hydroponic Systems at GSGF
Hydroponics offers an easy way to grow crops around the world regardless of climate, infrastructure, and other factors. At Green Schools Green Future, we aim to teach students to grow plants using hydroponics systems for the benefit of the environment.
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