Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hydroponic Farming Has Its Place In The Agricultural Space

By Shana Roach


Hydroponic farming has its roots in the fact that plants will grow with their roots in water. Any river running through an arid country will be lined by green plants that grow luxuriantly in the abundance of water.

Farming is the practicing of husbanding plants and animals for profit. Enterprises range from extensive ranches to the keeping of animals in confined spaces. A person considering whether to embark on hydroponics needs to consider his circumstances before deciding whether this is the type of farming that suits his purposes.

It is ironic when people who own extensive acres of grassland or fields of sugar cane set aside a small area for hydroponics. It seems that the method is more suited to people who live at the top of a skyscraper and wish to produce fresh vegetable for home consumption. Perhaps it is the prospect of tight control that persuades even owners of extensive tracts to experiment with the method.

A grower can control the nutrients available to the plants exactly. He does not have to contend with soil borne diseases and pests, or with plant competition. Each seed can be controlled exactly, fed as required and harvested exactly when it is at perfection.

An obvious advantage of the method is that it is available even to city dwellers living where space is at a premium. Units on the top of skyscrapers can supply fresh vegetables and flowers. The elimination of transport and handling is of considerable economic significance.

Freshness is very important to consumers, especially where flowers and vegetables are concerned. This may be the reason for the popularity of farmers' markets, yet the freshness of vegetables picked straight from the medium in which they are growing is unsurpassed. In eastern supermarkets fish are kept in glass tanks so that they can be eaten fresh and in some cases vegetables too are grown in the shops for ultimate freshness.

Precise control is possible and necessary in this method of agriculture. The farmer does not have to contend with many soil borne diseases or acidity problems because they are grown in a sterile medium and nutrients are controlled precisely. High plant densities are possible because the necessary nutrients can be supplied under conditions where competition and inconsistencies in soil density are not significant factors.

Hydroponic farming is intensive and requires a high degree of technical expertise. A farmer has to know the correct nutrients required by different plant varieties and how to supply them via the reticulation system. In some respects a unit has to be managed with all the precision and efficiency of a factory. There is a process, a product and an operating system that must run smoothly.

hydroponic farming




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