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