Hydroponic farming: what it is and how it works

What

We'll be hearing more and more about it. For the promising results it delivers, for the extraordinary innovation it represents, for the fact that with this system, nothing is wasted and everything is used to its full potential.

La hydroponic cultivation, as well as being a good opportunity to create an agricultural business and consequently new jobs (especially for young people), it is also a valuable resource for food production in a world where arable land is, overall, increasingly less, and the population tends to increase at a rapid rate in some areas of the globe. A piece, therefore, of thesustainable agriculture.

How it works

The term hydroponic cultivation it means the cultivation carried out "out of the ground”, therefore in the absence of land. This type of cultivation is gaining ground everywhere and now represents the future because it can be applied everywhere, given that it ensures ahigh manageability.

The word “hydroponics” comes directly from the Greek “hydro” (water) and “pride” (to work): “to work without water”. Ancient peoples already used this type of cultivation, such as the Aztecs or Babylonians that in their hanging gardens they could grow food all year round without needing soil but with a constant flow of water.

In hydroponic growing, the Plot is replaced, in fact, by a inert substrate, consisting of expanded clay, or from Rock wool, Zeolite, coconut fiberPlants, therefore, sink their roots into these substrates and are subsequently supplied with the nutrients they need to live and grow.

The latter are dissolved in the water used to irrigate the crops. The type of nutrient administered depends on the type of inert substrate in which the plants are grown. In hydroponics, as with soil, climatic conditions are no longer a variable to be taken into account.

For this reason, with this type of cultivation it is possible to grow anything at any time of the year and thus meet the food needs of many disadvantaged peoples in the South of the world.

There are two hydroponic growing systems:

• Open
• Closed

The system open It requires that the nourishment given to the plant is continuously fresh and that it is eliminated through drainage. In that closed Instead, the nutrients are not drained but collected and fed back to the plant.

A closed system, the one that reveals its effectiveness especially when the material on which the plant grows has low water retention, as in the case of expanded clay. With hydroponic cultivation, you can grow tomatoes, salads, all green leafy vegetables, cucumbers and pepperoni. Not to mention basil, rosemary and in general herbs.

What plants can be grown?

In hydroponic cultivation, it is possible to use many plants such as vegetables and aromatic herbs. In particular, the following are suitable for hydroponics: lettuce, spinach, The valerian, The marjoram and celery. But also mint, basil, parsley, pepper e Origan to flavor foods. Also tomatoes and Garlics are quite versatile and can grow this way.

How much

Hydroponics at home

You can also do this type of cultivation in property and obtain excellent results. As explained by the Guide to hydroponic cultivation from the Idroponica.it portal, what you need are:

• two plastic buckets non-transparent that can be stacked inside each other
• ofexpanded clay
• a pump immersion
• un tube oxygenator for the pump
• plastic cups
• garden hoses.

At this point, you can poke holes in the smaller bucket and the cups through which your plants' roots will pass. Fill the small bucket you just poked with expanded clay, and pour about 4 liters of water into the second bucket.

Next, take the pump, insert the oxygenation tube into the appropriate space, and then place the pump, thus assembled, inside the bucket of water. Arrange the cups in the small bucket with the clay and secure them with wire. Finally, take the small bucket and place it inside the large one where you poured the 4 liters of water.

During this process, pay attention to the hoses and pump to prevent them from breaking. Make sure the watering hoses come out and are connected to the top bucket, above the cups. If this happens, you've built your basic hydroponic system. If you want to automate it, connect the pump to a timer and an electrical outlet. Now you're ready to add your seedling or seeds.

Benefits

• Hydroponic growing can be done in any kind of place and in any climatic condition, outdoors, in a greenhouse, indoors, because it is “above ground” and not subject to normal climatic conditions.
• This type of cultivation can be practiced close to the points of sale, thus reducing transportation costs and consequently lowering the prices of the commodities.
• even the appreciable savings of water is one of the fundamental advantages of hydroponic cultivation, especially in closed systems which, as we have seen, recycle the water and reuse it for the same plant.
• With hydroponics, you can better control the quantity and quality of nutrients administered to the plant, optimizing fertilization, correcting excesses and deficiencies, and therefore continuously monitoring the performance of growing plants.
• Hydroponic cultivation it's clean because it does not involve the movement of earth.
• In hydroponics, the plant's phytosanitary condition is monitored more closely, so it's not affected by the diseases that often spread from the soil. Furthermore, there are no weeds.

disadvantages

• Plants grown hydroponically are much more fragile than those grown in soil. These plants, in fact, depend exclusively on the artificial system for their growth, so any problems with it could cause the immediate death of the plant.
• The high humidity level that characterizes the hydroponic system favors the onset of fungal diseases such as Verticillium wilt.
• Hydroponic growing cannot be defined organic (EC Regulation 889/2008) because plants don't grow in soil, and this lack precludes the definition of "organic farming." Consequently, there is no completely organic fertilizer for these crops, although there are non-toxic fertilizers specifically designed for this purpose.

Read also:

• Agriculture 4.0: all the advantages of agricultural business networks, starting with new jobs.
• Organic farming: We're finally first in Europe. And we employ 250 people.
• Sustainable agriculture and tourism: the wasted treasure that could save the South.