Hydroponics refers to a branch of hydroculture that involves growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with only their roots immersed in inert medium like gravel or perlite or in mineral solutions only without water. Water needs to be delivered to the root system. There are several ways of delivering nutrients to the plant. Common ways include hanging roots directly in nutrient solutions, misting roots, or enclosing root system in a container filled with a substrate.
Substrates replace soils in cases where plants are suspended in the substrates. Various kinds of substrates exist today. Major ones include sawdust, perlite, pebbles, wood chips, rockwool, and sand. Substrates are made with great ability to allow gaseous exchange and prevent water loss. Root systems grow deep into the substrates to offer support. Many people in the world are engaged in this form of agriculture because it presents several benefits. Today one can spot a hydroponics store anywhere.
The history of this technology is a long one. Francis Bacon was the first person to write a book on the technology in the year 1627. The book was printed several years after Bacon had already died and since then, people gained interest in the technology. A lot of research was done around that time with several publications coming out since 1699. A lot of modifications have been done to original findings and inventions.
Today, solution culture and medium culture are the two key types of hydroponics in existence. Solution cultures are named so because they lack a solid medium. Medium culture have a solid medium for providing plants with support.
Solution cultures are further subdivided into three major subgroups. The subgroups are aeroponics, continuous-flow solution culture, and static solution culture. Medium cultures are named according to the type of medium used for instance rockwool culture and gravel culture. The two cultures can further be divided according to the kind of irrigation used. There are two kinds of irrigation systems in wide use today, that is top irrigation and sub-irrigation.
Today, most hydroponic reservoirs in use are manufactured from plastic materials. However, formerly, other materials including wood, metal, concrete, glass, and vegetable solids were in wide use. In fact, there are still some reservoirs made of such materials. The reservoirs must never be exposed to sunlight to prevent growth of algae.
Nutrients are dissolved before being supplied to plants. Nutrients are usually in form of ions and inorganic form. The number of recipes used to make hydroponic solutions is huge. The desired composition is attained by mixing numerous chemicals together. Potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, and calcium nitrate are among chemicals used to provide macronutrients. As plants continue to absorb water and nutrients from soils, salt concentration increases to harmful levels. Close monitoring is required to avoid that.
Many countries exercise this form of agriculture on a commercial scale now. Because plants receive a constant supply of nutrients and pest problems are reduced, productivity is very high. However, growth in plants may be limited by low concentration levels of CO2 and limited exposure to sunlight.
Substrates replace soils in cases where plants are suspended in the substrates. Various kinds of substrates exist today. Major ones include sawdust, perlite, pebbles, wood chips, rockwool, and sand. Substrates are made with great ability to allow gaseous exchange and prevent water loss. Root systems grow deep into the substrates to offer support. Many people in the world are engaged in this form of agriculture because it presents several benefits. Today one can spot a hydroponics store anywhere.
The history of this technology is a long one. Francis Bacon was the first person to write a book on the technology in the year 1627. The book was printed several years after Bacon had already died and since then, people gained interest in the technology. A lot of research was done around that time with several publications coming out since 1699. A lot of modifications have been done to original findings and inventions.
Today, solution culture and medium culture are the two key types of hydroponics in existence. Solution cultures are named so because they lack a solid medium. Medium culture have a solid medium for providing plants with support.
Solution cultures are further subdivided into three major subgroups. The subgroups are aeroponics, continuous-flow solution culture, and static solution culture. Medium cultures are named according to the type of medium used for instance rockwool culture and gravel culture. The two cultures can further be divided according to the kind of irrigation used. There are two kinds of irrigation systems in wide use today, that is top irrigation and sub-irrigation.
Today, most hydroponic reservoirs in use are manufactured from plastic materials. However, formerly, other materials including wood, metal, concrete, glass, and vegetable solids were in wide use. In fact, there are still some reservoirs made of such materials. The reservoirs must never be exposed to sunlight to prevent growth of algae.
Nutrients are dissolved before being supplied to plants. Nutrients are usually in form of ions and inorganic form. The number of recipes used to make hydroponic solutions is huge. The desired composition is attained by mixing numerous chemicals together. Potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, and calcium nitrate are among chemicals used to provide macronutrients. As plants continue to absorb water and nutrients from soils, salt concentration increases to harmful levels. Close monitoring is required to avoid that.
Many countries exercise this form of agriculture on a commercial scale now. Because plants receive a constant supply of nutrients and pest problems are reduced, productivity is very high. However, growth in plants may be limited by low concentration levels of CO2 and limited exposure to sunlight.
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