Hydroponics

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Hydroponics

• Energy Technology
• Energy Facts Presentation
• Robert Boak
• Thomas Leonard
• Khris Oursler

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Hydroponics - The growing of plants without soil

• Nutrients are delivered to the plant in an
  aqueous solution.
• The scope of gardening is expanded
• Hydroponic gardening takes place on every
  continent in some form for food or commercial use.

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General Advantages

• Higher crop yield
• Less water required
• Possibility to grow crops outside of climate
• No need for crop rotation
• Continual growth throughout the year
• Little risk of weeds or parasites
• Possibility exists to grow outside of our
  atmosphere

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General Disadvantages

• Cost (initial, cost to run)
• Higher maintenance (constant supervision, pH
  testing, lighting adjustments)
• Requires specialized knowledge and equipment

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System Types

• There are two types of hydroponics systems for
  delivering the nutrient solution
• Passive
• Active

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Passive Systems

• Basic
• Easier to set up for the novice gardener
• Require materials that retain moisture longer
  (i.e..vermiculite and sand)
• Portable, simple, inexpensive
• Ideal for starting seeds, root cuttings and
  experimental purposes
• Common types Wick system
• Drain down system

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Wick System

• Wicks anchored in a medium stretch down to a
  reservoir and draw solution upward to reach the
  roots
• Disadvantage
• Plants do not grow to full maturity because of
  limited aeration and root zone volume

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Drain Down System

• Solution is poured through the system 1-3 times
  daily and drains into a container beneath it
• Disadvantage
• Roots can clog drain channels
• Extremely high maintenance

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Active Systems

• Uses pumps and other devices to pour the solution
  into the system and gravity to drain off the
  excess to be reused.
• Require mediums that drain rapidly, such as
  smooth gravel

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Types of Active Systems

• Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
• Ebb Flow
• Top Feed
• Aeroponics
• Sub- Aeration

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Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

• NFT uses little or no medium and uses a
  continuous solution flow over the roots
• Can produce large- scale crops cheaply in parts
  of the world where soil quality is poor
• NFT can produce 106 times more lettuce annually
  on a 2 1/2 acre operation than by conventional
  farming

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NFT

• The greatest problem facing NFT has been root die
  back caused by inadequate oxygen in the area
  around the root system
• This causes water stress which causes wilting and
  blossom end rot of fruit crops such as tomatoes.
• This system is susceptible to equipment failure
  and problems arise due to support of the plant

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Ebb Flow

• The most popular system due to its low
  maintenance and low cost
• Utilizes a growing bed full of medium that is
  flooded with solution and allowed to drain
• Best suited for growing seedlings, transplants
  and ornamental potted plants

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Ebb Flow

• There is little risk of equipment failure because
  there is a growing medium that retains water and
  allows oxygen to get to the roots
• Ebb Flow systems allow for uniform fill and
  complete drainage during the irrigation cycle
  thus leading to uniformity in plant growth
• This type of system can be made automatic with
  the use of computers

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Top Feed

• Top feed systems use pumps to carry the solution
  to the medium, and gravity to drain it back to a
  reservoir
• These are reliable, require low maintenance and
  can withstand short term equipment failure
  because of the growing medium
• They are suitable for large scale growing of all
  types of plants

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Top Feed

• A disadvantage of this system is that it is
  expensive and difficult to set up
• Top feed systems can use a variety of growing
  mediums and are available in a wide range of
  configurations

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Aeroponics

• Uses sprayers to bathe the roots with a nutrient
  -oxygen mist
• Plants are artificially suspended
• Used most widely in lab studies, but not for
  large-scale commercial use due to expense of
  setup and maintenance

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Aeroponics

• NASA has experimented with the combination of
  Aeroponics and NFT in order to conserve nutrients
  for the use of hydroponics in space
• The chief advantage of this type of system is
  efficient utilization of greenhouse space by
  arranging the plants vertically
• A disadvantage of Aeroponics is regulating the
  consistency of the sprayers to assure constant
  nutrient flow

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Sub- Aeration

• An air pump supplies oxygen to the roots of the
  plants via air stones
• Roots are constantly submerged and the air
  bubbles supply oxygen to prevent the roots from
  drowning
• Works best with plants that have already rooted
• Plants must be artificially supported

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Sub- Aeration

• A disadvantage is the lack of overall aeration
  and root disturbances that restrict plant growth
  and maturity
• The system is disrupted whenever the solution
  needs to be changed which can shock plants and
  cause damage
• Water should be covered from light to deter the
  growth of algae

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The Nutrient Solution

• The key to success of a hydroponics system
• Contains various combos of nutrients specifically
  engineered to mimic those in soil
• Made up of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium,
  Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Manganese,
  Zinc, Boron, Copper

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The Nutrient Solution

• Nitrogen- Production of leaves and growth of stem
• Phosphorous- Development of flowers, fruits,
  leaves and stems and growth of roots
• Potassium- Used by cells during assimilation of
  energy
• Calcium- Spurs root growth and helps plant absorb
  potassium
• Magnesium- Helps distribute phosphorous
  throughout the plant

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The Nutrient Solution

• Sulfur- Heightens the effectiveness of
  phosphorous and used in the production of energy
• Iron- Important in the production of chlorophyll
• Manganese- Aids in the absorption of nitrogen
• Zinc- Necessary in the transfer of energy
• Boron- Its purpose has not been determined
• Copper- Needed in the production of chlorophyll

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pH Value

• The acidity or alkalinity of the nutrient
  solution
• pH readings run from 0-14
• 0-6 acidic, 7 neutral, 8-14 alkaline
• The recommended pH is between 6-6.5

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pH Value

• Affected by many factors
• Temperature
• Amount of light
• Evaporation
• Type of plant
• Tap water refining
• Amount of nutrients
• Checking the pH level of the solution is vital to
  healthy plant growth

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pH Value

• Adjusting the pH level of the nutrient solution
  can be done simply
• Add baking soda to neutralize an acidic solution
• Add white vinegar to neutralize a basic solution

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Growing Medium

• Growing medium is used to lend support to the
  roots and plant
• A variety of growing medium are utilized for
  their individual qualities in various types of
  hydroponics systems

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Growing Medium

• A few popular examples of growing medium are
• Sand
• Brick shards
• Vermiculite/Perlite
• Gravel
• Rockwool
• Sawdust
• Polyethylene Sheeting

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The Future of Hydroponics

• Advances in lighting technology
• Use will expand to third world countries
• Reduced cost
• Thank you