Hydroponics
New-Age Technology For Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a contemporary method of horticulture or growing plants, usually farm produce, without using soil. In this method, the crops are grown on water, rich in essential micro and macro nutrients. According to studies, plants grown hydroponically grow faster and healthier than plants in the soil, since they are provided nutrients directly to their roots through the water in the form of a aqueous solvent, and not through soil.
Hydroponics Benefits
- Requires less labour, and the yields are much higher as plants grow faster as compared with regular farms.
- Uses comparatively less water, that is, 20% of the water used in the conventional cropping methods.
- Plants are not dependant on the weather outside, because the ambient temperature is manually controlled.
- Grow crops out of season, and provide greater food and nutrition choice to the consumer.
The hydroponic farming industry is ever-evolving and continually bringing new, innovative products to consumers. This happens within every subcategory throughout the hydroponic industry as well; lighting, ventilation, soils or media, nutrients, and pest control are all evolving in their own right. With more and more indoor horticulturalists paying attention to the potentially harmful chemicals associated with insect control, there has been a tremendous advancement within the use of organic pesticides.
Use of good nutrients for plants is also very important either through foliar feeding or Nutrient flow technique. Foliar feeding is a technique of feeding plants by applying liquid fertilizer directly to their leaves. The foliar feed can consist of a combination of elements or just one element which the plants may be deficient in. In Hydroponics the balanced nutrient solution fed to the plants through the root zone along with Foliar feeding can be greatly beneficial and provide a good yield.