Soil is an essential source of nutrients and minerals for growing plants. Also, it is responsible for facilitating gaseous exchange between the atmospheres and roots and helps to protect plants against erosion and facilitates water retention.
However, this article discusses a system - hydroponics, wherein plants can be grown without soil. Read on to find out what is hydroponics and gain valuable information about it.
What is Hydroponics?
The hydroponics definition states that it is the cultivation of plants in water. It is a subcategory of hydroculture and is a useful technique of growing plants without soil.
Through this technique, roots absorb the nutrients present in water and fulfil their growth requirement. Furthermore, through this method, one can grow plants in liquid, sand or gravel by simply adding some nutrients to it.
In recent years, hydroponics has found application in the field of commercial production and horticulture. Similarly, residents of cities with limited space are using this method to grow fresh plants in their home and surroundings.
In hydroponics, the photosynthesis process is expressed as –
Carbon dioxide + Water = Glucose + Oxygen
Or,
6CO2+ 6H2O = C6H12O6 + 6O2
Some of the most common hydroponics examples include – the production of artichokes, sprouts, cabbage, peas, onions, tomatoes and yams.
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Fun Fact: The term Hydroponics was derived from ‘hydros’ and ‘ponos’ which in Greek translates into ‘water working’.
Types of Hydroponics Systems
Here are the different types of hydroponics systems.
Wick System: In this system, the nutrients are pumped from the reservoir and transmitted to plant roots through wick’s capillary movement.
Ebb and Flow: It is also called the flood and drains system and is often automated via a pump with a timer. The grow tray is flooded with nutrient solution and is subsequently drained back.
Water Culture: Plants are kept in net pots and are placed on a floating platform on top of a container of water and nutrients. To facilitate growth and development, the suspended roots are stretched out into the oxygenated solution, which is rich in nutrients.
Drip System Recovery: In this setup, the nutrient solutions are pumped through a tube and then dropped onto roots through drip lines.
Other than these, the nutrient film technique and aeroponic system are also popular types of hydroponics systems.
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Test Your Knowledge: Define hydroponics. Explain the importance of hydroponics.
Advantages of Hydroponics
Following advantages makes the uses of hydroponics more feasible and effective –
Higher yield.
Controlled level of nutrition.
Plants are healthier, and they mature faster.
Weeds can be easily eliminated.
Susceptibility to pests and diseases is negligible.
Automation is possible.
Water present in the system can be reused, which facilitates water conservation.
Ease of harvesting.
Crops produced are fitter for consumption.
Small production space can be optimised effectively.
Irrespective of its benefits and uses, hydroponics has its share of disadvantages too. Read below to find remaining hydroponics information and its prominent problems.
Disadvantages of Hydroponics
Here are the prevalent problems of hydroponics –
The initial cost of investment.
The requirement of technical know-how.
The process is often thorough and time-consuming.
Only specific soluble nutrients are used.
The recirculation system is prone to water-borne infection.
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Is the Hydroponic attempt towards agriculture predictable and seasonable?
Farmers do need to tackle unpredictable and unexpected weather issues that could lead to wiping out of the entire crop in a matter of days. Floods, fires, droughts, insect problems, etc. are a fact of nature and can happen anytime and anywhere. And when a food crop is in dire straits, it can have a devastating effect on the rest of the food chain.
In a hydroponic greenhouse, conditions are controlled by the farmer. This means you can plant your strawberries and harvest them in the winter. And when a locust swarm arrives, the greenhouse will protect your precious plants from damage, no matter how many invaders invade nearby fields. For farmers, this means the ability to enter into long-term store contracts with fixed prices. And they will be sure to deliver, no matter what.
Does Hydroponics help in producing High-Quality Food?
With traditional farming, the answer has been to pick up the product before it is ripe and then let it ripen in storage and on the way to supply. In some cases, ethylene gas is used for the automatic ripening of selected foods in advance. This is necessary if traditionally cultivated plants will reach consumers in remote areas.
Natural, plant-based foods are often more nutritious and taste better. Because hydroponic gardens contain their microbiomes, these plants can be grown anywhere. This means that they can be selected during the ripening period as they do not have to travel long distances before arriving at their homes and restaurants to enjoy themselves.
Important Consideration in Hydroponics
While you can grow almost anything with hydroponics, some vegetables grow better in hydroponic systems than others. Choose plants that are moisture-resistant and do not grow well in their composition, such as cucumber, tomato, capsicum, strawberries, lettuce, and leafy vegetables.
Also, when establishing a hydroponic garden, depending on the size, strength, and development of the roots of the plants to grow and the structure of the system, one needs to decide whether to use only a solution culture or a specific type of growth.
FAQs on Introduction to Hydroponics
1. What Does Hydroponic Mean?
In simple words, hydroponic is a technique of growing plants without soil. It is a subcategory of hydroculture, which uses mineral nutrients to grow plants like peas, artichokes, cucumber, onions, radishes, leeks, etc. Hydroponics is simply the growth of plants without soil. Plants also need light, water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen in the root zone. In hydroponics, plants are grown in inactive areas such as rock or coco coir fiber and are fed a solution that contains a complete mixture of basic, secondary, and micro-nutrients.
2. What is the Importance of Hydroponics?
Hydroponics helps to increase crop production even in areas where the soil is sterile. Also, the crops thus produced are healthier and less susceptible to pests and diseases. Similarly, hydroponics helps to use small places effectively for cultivation. Recently, I have had endless arguments with a few friends about hydroponics. They believe that hydroponics should not be as highly valued as other growth methods because of their limited dimensions. Therefore, I decided to make a list of the most important hydroponic features that could change the world.
Plants That Grow in Any Climate
Use of Low Pesticides
High Food Production
Water Efficiency
Direct Farming
Solving World Hunger
3. What are the Benefits of Hydroponics?
The advantages include an increased yield of crops, more nutritious and fast yield, and ease of cultivation.
Maximizes Space - Hydroponics requires much less space than plants planted in the ground. Depending on the system, when hydroponics is combined with vertical farming techniques, they can use a few 99 percent more fields than conventional farming methods.
Water Conservation – Hydroponic plants can grow at less than 98 percent more water than traditional growing methods.
Facilitates a Micro-Weather - Hydroponic gardens can easily be found inside a hydroponic greenhouse. This means that they can have their small climates, trapped in the many difficulties that traditional farmers have to work to cope with.
Produces Great Harvest - Creating favorable conditions ensures that plants get the right amount of nutrients, which comes in direct contact with the roots.
4. Why do the Hydroponic gardens not need any soil for growth?
In addition, there are wide variations in soil quality from one area to another, and many plants have a strong preference for a particular type of soil. This means that traditional farmers can only plant crops that are suitable for the soil in their areas. In most parts of the world, few crops can be grown using traditional methods. With hydroponic gardens, the soil does not worry so farmers can plant any crops that can be of great benefit to their community without worrying about soil erosion.
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The most important point where we miss is that students are relaxed while referring to a specific solution or questionnaire. Even when learning from a teacher, the student should be able to grasp concepts well. We, at Vedantu, provide this easily to readers and help them understand authentic content related to Hydroponics with 100% ease and comfort. Vedantu experts are set to design question papers and raise the level of knowledge and analysis skills of students.
