Hydroponics/Soilless Culture
Actually,
hydroponics is merely one sort of soilless culture. It refers to a way during
which plant roots are suspended in either a static, continuously aerated
nutrient solution or endless flow or mist of nutrient solution. The growing of
plants in an inorganic substance (such as sand, gravel, Perlite, Rockwool) or
in an organic material (such as sphagnum, pine bark, or coconut fiber) and
periodically watered with a nutrient solution should be mentioned as soilless
culture but not necessarily hydroponic. Some may argue with these definitions,
because the common conception of hydroponics is that plants are grown without
soil, with 16 of the 19 required essential elements provided by means of a
nutrient solution that periodically bathes the roots.
Most
of the books on hydroponic/soilless culture specialize in the overall culture
of plants and therefore the design of the growing system, giving only sketchy
details on the rooting bed design and therefore the composition and management
of the nutrient solution. Although the methods of solution delivery and plant
support media may vary considerably among hydroponic/soilless systems, most
have proven to be workable, leading to reasonably good plant growth. However,
there's a big difference between a “working system” and one that's commercially
viable. Unfortunately, many workable soilless culture systems aren't
commercially sound. Most books on hydroponics would lead one to believe that hydroponic/soilless
culture methods for plant growing are relatively freed from problems since the
rooting media and provide of nutrient elements are often controlled.
“Hydroponic culture is an inherently attractive, often oversimplified
technology, which is way easier to market than to sustain.
Unfortunately,
failures far outnumber the successes, thanks to management inexperience or lack
of scientific and engineering support.” Experience has shown that
hydroponic/soilless growing requires careful attention to details and good
growing skills. Most hydroponic/soilless growing systems aren't easy to manage
by the inexperienced and unskilled. Soil growing is more forgiving of errors
made by the grower than are most hydroponic/soilless growing systems,
particularly people who are purely hydroponic.
Advantages
a.
Crops are often grown where no suitable soil exists or where the soil is
contaminated with disease.
b.
Labor for tilling, cultivating, fumigating, watering, and other traditional
practices is essentially eliminated.
c.
Maximum yields are possible, making the system economically feasible in
high-density and expensive land areas.
d.
Conservation of water and nutrients may be a feature of all systems. this will
cause a discount in pollution of land and streams because valuable chemicals
needn't be lost.
e.
Soil-borne plant diseases are more readily eradicated in closed systems, which
may be totally flooded with an eradicant.
f.
More complete control of the environment is usually a feature of the system
(i.e., root environment, timely nutrient feeding or irrigation), and in
greenhouse-type operations, the light, temperature, humidity and composition of
the air are often manipulated.
g.
Water carrying high soluble salts could also be used if through with extreme
care. If the soluble salt concentrations within the water system are over 500
ppm, an open system of hydroponics could also be used if care is given to
frequent leaching of the growing medium to scale back the salt accumulations.
h.
The amateur horticulturist can adapt a hydroponic system to home and patio-type
gardens, even in high-rise buildings. A hydroponic system are often clean,
lightweight, and mechanized.
Disadvantages
a.
the first construction cost per acre is great.
b.
Trained personnel must direct the growing operation. Knowledge of how plants
grow and of the principles of nutrition is vital .
c.
Introduced soil-borne diseases and nematodes could also be spread quickly to
all or any beds on an equivalent nutrient tank of a closed system.
d.
Most available plant varieties adapted to controlled growing conditions would
require research and development.
e. The reaction of the plant to good or poor nutrition is unbelievably fast. The grower must observe the plants a day