HYDROPONICS

TECHNICALITIES OF
HYDROPONICS AND ITS
BENEFITS AS OPPOSED
TO TRADITIONAL
METHODS OF FARMING
Robert Mwakio
 Introduction

The word hydroponics derives its definition from

Greek word “hydro” which means water and “ponos”
which means labor. Literally meaning water working
 History of Hydroponics
Origins traced at around 600bc to the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon other records include floating
farms around city of Tenochtitlan by Aztects of
Mexico in 10 and 11th Century
13th Explorer Marco Polo noted in his writing
seeing similar garden in China
1600 that records of Scientific experiments by
Belgian Jan Van Helmont concluded that plants
needed growth substance from water
 Early Hydroponic research

-1804 De Saussure proposed that plants were

composed of chemical elements absorbed from
water, air and soil Boussignault verified this
 1860 – 61 two German botanist Julius Von Sach and
Wilhelm Knop delivered first formula for nutrient
solutions dissolved in water. This is the origin of
nitriculture/ water culture that contained Nitrogen
(N) Potassium (k) Phosphorus (P) Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S) and Calcium (Ca) – Macronutrients/macro
elements
In 1936 W.F Gerike of University of California
Berkley experimented on nitriculture for
production of agricultural crops. He called this
system Aquaculture and later on Hydroponics
After WW2 Hydroponics cultivation was widely
used by the military
 In the 1950s, the soilless method of Hydroponics
expanded to a variety of countries including
England, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the USSR,
and Israel.
 Hydroponic Concept

Hydroponics does not use soil, instead the root

system is supported using an inert medium such as
perlite, rockwool, clay pellets, peat moss, or
vermiculite. The basic premise behind hydroponics
is to allow the plants roots to come in direct contact
with the nutrient solution, while also having access
to oxygen, which is essential for proper growth.
Nutrient solutions can be formulated (artificially) or
use of fish extrament
 Hydroponic solution
The most common solution is the Hoagland
solution, developed by D. R. Hoagland and W. C.
Snyder in 1933. The solution consists of all the
essential nutrients in the correct proportions
necessary for most plant growth.
 Requirements for hydroponically grown plants

Temperature – Each plant has is own optimum

temperature range for growth
Light – Hydroponically grown plants need 8-10
hours light
Water – water quality is essential. Ph is also
important to test depending on plant
Oxygen- plant roots require oxygen for
respiration. Use aerator incase roots are
submerged to avoid hypoxia
Parts per million means that for every million
molecules of a solution, a certain number of those
molecules are made up of a particular nutrient. For
example, a solution of 200 ppm nitrogen means
that 200 out of one million molecules would be
nitrogen.
Support—soil provides a firm anchor for plants to
grow upright. In hydroponics systems, artificial
support can be provided. This can be accomplished
through string stakes, trellises, and mesh
materials.
 Common Types of Hydrponics

Aggregate culture- Involves aggregate or substrate

materials that help support plant and allow plant
take root
 Common substrate include sand,perlite,vermiculite,gravel,peat
moss and rockwool
 Nutrient solutions – provide plant with essential nutrients.
Common way of supplying is through drip, trickle or sub
irrigation and flooding
B. Water Culture / Nitriculture- no substrate is used.
Plants maybe started in rockwool but most of the
root is growing in nutrient solution. Types
i) Nutrient Film Technique- continuous flow of
water through tubes or troughs. A pump raises
nutrients to desire level and gravity helps drain
ii) Aeroponics – designed to have plants roots
suspended in air within closed containers that spray
mist to the roots
 Common Types of Hydroponics

Aggregate Culture Nitriculture

Aeroponics
Nutrient Film
Technique
 Other types of hydroponics
Deepwater Culture (DWC)- the roots are suspended
in a nutrient solution
 Wicking-  material, such as cotton, that is surrounded
by a growing medium with one end of the wick material
placed in the nutrient solution.
Ebb & flow hydroponics system - This type of
system functions by flooding the growing area with the
nutrient solution at specific intervals
Drip system - works by providing a slow feed of
nutrient solution to the hydroponics medium
 Why use Hydroponics
Hydroponics is the excellent choice as compared to
conventional farming.
- Water efficiency no wastage
 Saves space
 Does not rely on weather patterns
 Controlled environment
 Higher nutrition value
 No pests and diseases that are soil borne
 Higher quality yield
Pictures