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Answer The Following Questions in Complete Sentences After Reading The "How Hydroponics Works" Article
Answer The Following Questions in Complete Sentences After Reading The "How Hydroponics Works" Article
4. According to the article what is the only major difference between hydroponics and
regular agriculture?
9. Why is the use of hydroponics farming most likely going to increase in the future?
Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/hydroponics.htm/printable
How Hydroponics Works
By Bambi Turner
INTRODUCTION
If you've ever placed a plant clipping into a glass of water in the
hopes that it will grow roots, you've practiced a form of
hydroponics. Hydroponics is a branch of agriculture where plants
are grown without the use of soil. Plants just like humans need
nutrients to survive. Nutrients are chemicals which are used by
an organism to survive or grow. The nutrients that the plants
normally get from the soil are simply dissolved into water instead.
Depending on the type of hydroponic system used, the plant's
roots are suspended in, flooded with or misted with the nutrient
solution. This way the plant gets the elements it needs for growth.
As the population of our planet gets larger the land that is available
for growing food declines. Hydroponics allows us to produce crops
in greenhouses or in multilevel buildings dedicated to agriculture.
Already crops are being produced underground, on rooftops and in
greenhouses using hydroponic methods.
Hydroponics also takes less time to grow plants than soil-based agriculture. Plants grown in
hydroponics systems have direct access to water and nutrients and don’t have to develop
large root systems to allow them to find the nutrients they need. This saves time and produces
healthier plants in about half the amount of time as traditional agriculture.
Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/hydroponics.htm/printable
The Science Behind Hydroponics
Before we can take a look at how hydroponics works, we must first
understand how plants themselves work. Generally speaking, plants
need very little to grow. They can live on a simple blend of water,
sunlight, carbon dioxide and mineral nutrients from the soil. Notice
that soil itself is not required for for plants to grow. The plant simply
needs the minerals it gets from the soil. This is the basic idea behind
hydroponics -- all the elements required for plant growth are the
same as with traditional soil-based gardening. Hydroponics simply
takes away the need for soil.
Hydroponics Systems
Let's take a look at some parts of hydroponics systems. The most
important part of any hydroponic system is the nutrient solution
used. The nutrients solution is made up of the minerals the plant
requires that are dissolved in water. Different nutrient solutions are used depending on what
type of plants you're trying to grow and what type of system you are using.
Another critical aspect of hydroponics is the use of light. Plants require light in order to
perform photosynthesis. In areas where natural light is not available or plentiful, plant grow
lights are used instead. Finally, any successful hydroponics system must be monitored so that
pH levels are regulated. PH is a measure of how acidic or basic the growth environment is.
The pH of the system must be kept within a certain range, depending on the plant and the
medium used.
Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/hydroponics.htm/printable