Hydroponics is a Latin term, which literally translated means “working water.” The bottom line is that this method is used to grow plants without soil.
This aspect offers exciting possibilities for growers and also in areas where the terrain and climate are not conducive to growing plants or crops. These could be problem areas where overcrowding and traditional methods have stripped the fields of their vital nutrients, thus inhibiting growth. It is here that hydroponic systems score big points, by allowing crops and plants to grow in small areas, using the minimum of resources.
So as with everything there are pros and cons. What are the pros and cons of Hydroponic growing?
The Pros
a) Hydroponic growing leads to an increase in production, compared to traditional farming methods. This is due to various factors such as space saving, whereby the plants can be placed closer together. For example, up to four times as many plants can be placed in the same space as traditional methods.
b) Hydroponic growing can eliminate many of the problems associated with traditional methods that cause poor, damaged or wasted crops. The way that hydroponics work means that there is no guess work needed about which plants will grow best in a field. The hydroponic growers produce the nutrient mixes which are exactly right to produce excellent crops. Soil based diseases are eliminated as there is obviously no soil used.
c) Water consumption in the hydroponic process is significantly less than conventional methods. The water is used more effectively and weeds, which steal crop water supply, are not an issue. Contamination from pesticide run-off water, into surrounding ground, is not an issue as the environment is more controlled.
The Cons
a) Hydroponic growing uses more energy and is usually done in greenhouses, where significant amounts of electricity is used to provide the necessary light the hydroponic plants need. This obviously has high costs associated with it as well as its effects on the environment.
b) Nutrient mixtures and growing mediums can be very expensive and while research is trying to bring costs down, for instance in the field of aquaponics, generally the costs can be too high for some potential growers.
And Finally
Hydroponic growing is an area that holds much promise for the future and this is backed up by the vast quantity of research that is being devoted to the subject. Until there is sufficient proof to back up the hydroponic growing process and how it can help farmers to become more efficient in their farming methods, we will have to wait and see. That being said, right now, many farmers are successfully using hydroponic growing methods.
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