Hydroponics: Is there a future for technology?

Every year it becomes more difficult to achieve ecological purity of the crop. Even if you do not use the products of the chemical industry for growing garden crops and follow the original agrotechnical methods dictated and presented by nature, you cannot be sure that your cucumbers or parsley are absolutely safe and do not contain harmful substances.

They are contained in exhaust gases, in household chemicals, which evaporate and dissolve in water, in medicinal preparations, which are naturally eliminated from the body and enter the soil, in gasoline, on which agricultural machines operate and which get into it during tillage.

One of the ways to prevent harmful substances from entering the plants from the soil is not to use the soil at all. This will help hydroponics - an ancient and at the same time modern and progressive method of growing plants without soil.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics allows you to grow crops and not use the soil - the necessary food goes to the plants directly from the solution, the composition of which is balanced and prepared specifically for this crop in the proportions necessary for it. This condition cannot be met with traditional cultivation in the soil.

The term "hydroponics" consists of two Greek words, which is due to the antiquity of the method: υδρα - water and πόνος - work constitutes the word "hydroponics", literally, this translates as "working solution".

The essence of the method

The method is based on the study of the plant's need for certain components and how the root system consumes them. Not one decade has gone on to gain knowledge of how, what and in what quantity the root extracts from the soil. Experiments were based on the cultivation of plants in distilled water, to which certain nutrients were added - mineral salts.

Experimentally, it was found that the plant for full development feels the need to:

• potassium for full growth;
• sulfur and phosphorus for protein synthesis;
• iron and magnesium so that chlorophyll can be formed;
• calcium for root development;
• nitrogen.

Later, using the same experiments, it was concluded that not only minerals are necessary, but also trace elements - elements that require a microscopic amount.

Initially, the technique involved growing plants in water, but immersion into it affected the fact that oxygen to the roots was catastrophically low, and this led to their death, and therefore the death of the plant. This led scientific minds to develop other, alternative methods. The substrate comes into play - a substance inert in terms of nutritional value, immersed in a solution prepared in accordance with the needs of the plant.

The quality of the substrate gave the name to various methods:

• aggregatoponica - the use of a substrate of inorganic origin: expanded clay, gravel, gravel, sand, etc .;
• hemoponics - the use of moss, sawdust, peat and other organic substances as a substrate, which, however, do not represent the nutritional value for the plant by themselves;
• Ionitoponics - the use of ion exchange resins - insoluble granular substances that provide ion exchange activity;
• aeroponics - the absence of a substrate as such, while the roots exist in limbo in a chamber protected from light.

The plant, which nature assigned to work tirelessly, extracting food from the soil and maintaining competition with its neighbors, is completely devoid of such necessity if it is grown by the method of hydroponics. It has no shortage of nutrients, and they get to the roots in an easily accessible form, as if a person had crushed food and deprived of the need to chew.

The plant is still not human, and not accustomed to vegetate in laziness. It uses the released energy very rationally: it grows and develops at a heightened pace.

Water used in hydroponic cultivation is much less used than in traditional cultivation; this is especially important when the scale of production is industrial.

Thus, the hydroponic method makes it possible to control the conditions for plants - control over the dietary regime that ensures their need for minerals and trace elements.

Also, the method successfully copes with the regulation of gas exchange, humidity and air temperature, light mode - factors that are key to the success of a good harvest.

A bit of history

The scientific approach to the description of the principle of plant nutrient intake was first used by Aristotle, it was he who concluded that the final product that comes to the roots as a food has an organic form.

After the works of Aristotle, this question was returned only in the 17th century, when Dutch scientists Johann Van Helmont began to conduct experiments, the purpose of which was to find out how the plants and the very essence of this food were getting food.

Over the next two centuries, scientists have established that plant cells are built from chemically modified substances, and this process is impossible without oxygen.

These conclusions became available thanks to Edma Mariotte, Marcello Malpighi, Stefan Heles, John Woodward, who was closest in his descriptions of growing plants closer to hydroponics, which it is now. Thanks to the German agrochemist Justus von Liebig, who in the 19th century studied the principles of nutrition of plant organisms, it became known that they feed on substances of a nonorganic nature.

His works have become a tangible help for the next generation of scientists.

The German professors of botany Julius Zachs (Bonn University) and Wilhelm Knop (Leipzig-Mekkern Experimental Station) managed in 1856 to grow plants from seeds only on nutrient solution.

Thanks to this, it became known exactly which elements they needed for a full-fledged "diet" of plants.

By 1860, the composition of the solution was perfected. It is believed that this year laid the foundation for modern crop production without the use of soil. At about the same time, in parallel with Knop and Zaks, domestic bright minds such as Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev and Dmitry Nikolaevich Pryanishnikov, who led the Fertilizer Research Institute, which was named after him after his death, worked on the issue.

It was at this institute that there was a large installation — equipment for hydroponic cultivation.

The method of selection as a result of persistent efforts of several generations of scientists has become known substances that need to be present in the solution in order for plants to fully grow and develop, as well as their ratio. The method got its name "hydroponics" from the light hand of the American phytophysiologist, professor at the University of California, William Gerickke.

He published the results of his research in 1929, and they were so successful that they found their practical application during the Second World War.American soldiers were fed vegetables grown in hydroponic basins created by explosions in rocky rock.

The 1930s were marked by the flourishing of science, including the biological one.

Thus, Polish (under the direction of Professor V.Piotrovsky) and Hungarian (under the direction of Professor P. Rechler) at that time, hydroponic systems were installed in the Carpathian Mountains, with the help of which early vegetables and ornamental plants were successfully grown. The hydroponic system established by the German professor Hering, established in 1938 in Westphalia, the place Steinheim, is successfully operating now.

At present, hydroponic methods are used on all continents for growing vegetables, herbs, ornamental plants.

Hydroponics has become so widespread that this method can be applied at home.

Basic hydroponic systems

With natural cultivation, nutrition to the roots is delivered from the soil, in contrast to the hydroponic method, when nutrients are delivered to the root system by means of a solution in which they are dissolved.

Some hydroponic systems provide as a substrate the presence of a neutral filler that serves as a support for the root system, others neglect intermediate layers, suspending the roots in the air inside a special installation.

According to the method of irrigation, hydroponic systems are divided into:

• passive, in which the flow of the solution occurs using capillary forces;
• active, where pumps are used to discharge the working solution;
• combined, in which both principles are combined, and which are considered optimal for hydroponic crop production.

Wick

The wick system is the most primitive type of hydroponics. It is passive and does not contain moving parts. The working solution of the plant is obtained using capillary forces by means of wicks. It is absorbed gradually into the substrate.

A wide range of fillers is available here, the most popular of which are:

• perlite;
• vermiculite;
• coconut fiber and other.

Its disadvantage is that the wick system cannot be applied to large moisture-loving plants that feel the need for large volumes of solution. The wick's bandwidth is very limited, and it is able to provide a sufficient amount of solution to slow-growing plants that do not need large quantities of moisture and nutrition, such as home decorative flowers.

Floating platform

A very simple hydroponic system - a floating platform. It is a foam base with holes in which the plants are fixed. This foam raft floats in the nutrient solution pool, while the air pump fills it with the oxygen needed for the roots.

The system is well suited for growing crops that grow quickly and love a lot of moisture. It is recommended for beginners who only have to acquire certain skills in baseless plant production.

Periodic flooding

Another name for the periodic flooding system is the inflow and outflow method. The system is based on a periodic inflow of nutrient solution into the tank, where plants are located and the outflow to the tank, where it is stored.This principle underlies a multitude of commercially available hydroponic systems.

The injection of the solution is provided by a pump immersed in it, which is controlled by a time sensor. Powered by a timer, the pump pushes the solution into the vessel where the plants live.

When it turns off, the liquid is drained into the tank by gravity. This happens several times a day.

The timer settings are set according to what kind of plant, what temperature and air humidity, what substrate is used.

Nutrient layer

Technique of the nutrient layer - the most common among hydroponic systems. It lies in the fact that the solution moves at the bottom of the tank, settling there in a shallow layer. It constantly circulates in a closed system, so there is no need to supply the pump with a timer.

Not all root system is placed in the solution, but only its tips, and the plant is fixed in a pot with slots for free exit of the roots. This method does not need substrates. Above the surface of the solution, the air is humid, and it delivers enough oxygen to the roots.

The use of this technology, which does not use substrates, brings significant savings.

Drip irrigation

The drip irrigation system uses various fillers:

• stones;
• gravel;
• basalt granules;
• mineral wool;
• coconut chips;
• perlite;
• expanded clay;
• vermiculite, etc.

Plants live in a common container or in separate pots, which makes it easier to work when you need to rearrange the plants, add them to the system, or remove them from there. The working solution from the tank through the pump is fed to each plant through the tubes.

Aeroponica

The most modern and technologically advanced method is aeroponics. It involves abundant permanent irrigation of the root system, while the entire space is occupied by air saturated with water vapor, feeding the plant with minerals and oxygen.

Airborne roots should not dry out.

The process is controlled by a timer set to two minutes. The method is effective even at high temperature of the solution, which makes it acceptable even in those places where the climate is hot.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Any technology has undoubted advantages, which confirms its widespread use, and some drawbacks, and this state of affairs is fully applicable to hydroponics.

pros

Hydroponics reduces the complexity of the growing process, and this is due to a number of factors that make it possible to make wide use of the technology and actively introduce it into life.

• The yield and growth rate are significantly increased due to the energy savings of the plant in extracting nutrients from the soil. It develops stably and evenly, demonstrating continuous positive dynamics due to constant stable conditions.
• In plants there are no harmful elements that could get from the soil in the case of traditional farming. It contains only those substances that were offered to him in the composition of the nutrient solution - no more, no less.
• Daily watering of the soil is not required, moreover, control over the amount of fluid is made easier: each plant receives it as much as it needs.
• Drying and waterlogging are excluded, which is impossible to provide in traditional agriculture.
• Perennials are much easier to replant: it is easier to avoid injuries to the root system, which is inevitable when transplanted into the soil.
• Pesticides are not used in hydroponics, since there are no pests, fungi and diseases that inhabit the soil and are attracted by neighboring plants. Weed seeds, which by their rapid growth can drown out a cultivated plant, are also absent in the solution, unlike the soil.
• The issue of replacing the soil disappears, and it reduces the cost of such an activity as indoor ornamental plant growing.
• Easier care of plants in comparison with those that grow in the ground: there are no extraneous smells, dirt, pests and so on.
• Traditional processing methods such as loosening and weeding are not required; instead, you can fully automate the growing process and take almost no part in it.

Minuses

There are some drawbacks that cannot be called such.Rather, these are features of the method that are not suitable for everyone.

• The relative high cost of the method. It is required to immediately invest in the equipment a certain amount in order to adjust the process. This amount is significantly higher than the one-time costs that are needed for the purchase of soil.
• The independent collection of the system in addition to financial investments also requires investment of labor and time at the initial stage, which, however, can quickly pay off with a properly adjusted process, because the quick growth of plants and the ease of caring for them quickly compensate for them.
• The ignorant approach turns away from the method of people in whom hydroponics is associated with something artificial, unreal, and therefore unhealthy, almost poisonous.
• Hydroponics has not learned to grow roots. Tubers, which are also plant roots, do not tolerate excessive moisture and "repay" rot.

Basic rules for growing plants by

The shape of the roots depends largely on the environment in which they reside. If they are grown in water using the hydroponic method, they will be light, juicy, supplied with many villi.

When transplanting a plant that has still grown in the ground, into a hydro-culture, it is necessary to observe certain conditions that will ensure the successful growth and development of the plant.

How to plant

• The plant is removed from the tank, where it grew, and placed in a bucket of water. It should be at room temperature.
• Watering the roots with water from a mug or a watering can (the stream should be light, not under pressure), gently wash them.
• After they are cleaned, the roots straighten and fall asleep substrate. The plant does not have to touch the roots of the water layer, the solution will get to them, moving through the capillaries of the substrate. And after some time they will grow as much as necessary.
• The substrate is poured on top of the water, poured into a container with the substrate at the desired level and give him about a week to adapt.

How to care

The needs of plants are the same, under what conditions they would not be grown, but the peculiarities of care are still different.

• In order to avoid an overabundance of minerals in plants, the solution is recommended to be changed every two to three years, washing with clean water all the items that came in contact with it.

• It is necessary to follow the hygienic rules: to save the plant from dead parts and prevent them from entering the solution.
• The temperature of the working solution should not be too low or high, it is optimal if it keeps the value of +20 ° C. This should be monitored carefully, especially in winter, when a potted plant can overcool on a window sill that is too cold. For such cases, you should use a thermal insulation material, such as wood or foam, placing it under the pot.
• Of the pests can start a spider mite or thrips. The possibility of flowering of the solution is also not excluded if the external vessel is made of a transparent material.

Hydroponics and Agronomy

In the modern world, hydroponic culture is developing by leaps and bounds, gratefully applying the development of a host of scientists who have worked on this issue.

Condition today

Modern systems are manufactured using only plastics, including pumps that are coated with epoxy.These materials are harmless and durable, and in combination with neutral layers of substrates serve faithfully for a long time.

Thanks to plastic parts, it became possible to send to a well-deserved rest metal structures that are bulky, inconvenient and expensive.

Modern developments, which have found application in hydroponics, promote it to full and total automation and, as a result, cost reduction. Separately, it should be noted the continuation of research and the simultaneous use of the already obtained results of the development of a balanced nutrient solution for plants.

Already, technology is of interest on all continents of the planet. In many European countries, they have already switched to hydroponics, growing some crops, such as strawberries, which grow like yeast, and the crop is much easier to harvest.

The developed formulations of solutions allow to increase the yield of many crops, while reducing the area allocated for their sowing.

Nowadays hydroponic systems are gaining popularity: there is an increase in demand for hydroponic growing equipment and nutrient solutions,which reduces the cost of expensive production and reduces the cost of such a previously exotic method like hydroponics. While designing the systems, the developers are working to make it possible to completely fill the volume of rooms allocated for growing plants using the hydroponics method.

Due to this, there is a huge savings in space, and at the same time increases the yield, and hence income. At the same time, work is underway to reduce labor costs.

Is there a future?

Currently, there is a global process of reducing the rural population and increasing the urban, which will not engage in the cultivation of agricultural products, but will remain its consumer.

Hydroponics allows to provide the population of cities with grown products produced right there, which means that transportation costs will not be included in its price, and the quality due to transportation will not be affected either. Another side of the problem is serious soil pollution with a variety of harmful substances and their depletion due to illiterate farming, abuse of chemicals, etc.

In hydroponic soil is not required at all, and if you do not aggravate the situation, nature can restore it after some time.

In order to take care of themselves, their offspring and the fate of humanity, concrete, albeit small, steps should be taken, one of which, along with the search for alternative energy sources, medicines for AIDS and cancer, solutions to pollution, and many others, is the transition to hydroponics .

The purpose of hydroponics is to collect the maximum possible and environmentally friendly harvest from the smallest possible area, while the development is being conducted to reduce the cost of the technique. Architects and designers, inspired by this idea, as well as the gardens of Semiramis, develop projects for urban gardens and generate other interesting ideas that are not without grace and practicality.