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Agri Business Review | Wednesday, June 29, 2022
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Hydroponic gardens are cultivated in greenhouses. This guarantees that these plants are protected from the elements and climate fluctuations.
FREMON, CA: Every plant needs soil for support and growth. However, in this method of farming, water is substituted for soil. Then, depending on the plant being grown, the water is supplemented with various nutrients. These minerals, which may be compounds of Nitrogen, Calcium, Potassium, or Phosphorus, provide the plant with the nutrition it needs for optimal growth and output.
Space is the greatest constraint that human race faces today. Hydroponic farming eliminates the space problem significantly. This high-tech farming employs water as a substitute for soil, the second significant difficulty. This method of plant cultivation produces nutrient-dense plants with a speedier yield. As more and more people become familiarized with this cutting-edge, high-yield method, it will soon gain worldwide recognition.
Utilizes less space: Compared to traditional soil farming, hydroponics uses the vertical gardening approach and requires significantly less space. When mineral salts are combined with water, they dissolve immediately. This means that plant roots do not need to extend far in quest of nourishment. The plant has access to all the water and minerals required for growth in close proximity to its roots. This allows the plants to thrive in tight settings.
Conserves water: According to estimates, 70 percent of the world's population will reside in regions with severe water scarcity by 2025. Therefore, it is crucial to learn to save water. Hydroponic agriculture requires significantly less water than traditional irrigation. The plant uses 98 percent less water. Hydroponics needs only 0.1 percent of water to cultivate plants. The remaining water is returned to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration.
Micro-climate: Hydroponic gardens are cultivated in greenhouses. This guarantees that these plants are protected from the elements and climate fluctuations. These climate-controlled greenhouses protect the plants from insects and other pests, eliminating the need for pesticides. These plants can be grown year-round, unlike conventionally cultivated plants that require certain growing seasons. Even the sun's availability is no longer an issue with artificial lighting.
Increased output: Temperature-controlled greenhouse farming delivers 240 times greater yields than conventional farming.
Less labor: Traditional farming involves soil cultivation, irrigation, and the application of fertilizers and pesticides. All of these tasks are labor-intensive. Hydroponic farms can be handled by a single laborer, as far fewer tasks are involved.
Superior food quality: Hydroponics allows plants to be cultivated year-round, ensuring that produce is always fresh. Food grown in particular temperatures and moved to other places is frequently harvested unripe and ripened artificially afterward. However, with hydroponic farming, food may be grown anywhere and near where it will be consumed. This allows farmers to harvest ripe vegetables and fruits at the optimal moment. Thus, there is no need to ripen the food artificially.