Hydroponics: A Soilless Future
By Christina Lee
Image from The Worldfolio
The photograph above captures a farmer in Panama, where storms and flooding are common, using hydroponic methods to cultivate crops.
What is hydroponics? How does it work? How does hydroponic farming compare to traditional farming? Essentially, a hydroponic system is a sustainable method that grows high-yield crops using water and nutrients – without requiring soil. The root system replaces soil and is supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rock wool, clay pellets, or peat moss. The purpose of hydroponics is to allow the plant’s root to grow properly in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution, while also having access to oxygen. Additionally, the more important purpose of hydroponics lies in the fact that this methodology is a potentially useful tool to overcome some of traditional agriculture’s obstacles: freshwater shortages, climate change, and soil degradation. Hydroponics is an innovative option for farmers who lack access to land and water; it is also effective where the quality of soil is not optimal and access to water is scarce.
Image from Medium
Growth Without Soil And Its Advantages
A key component of hydroponic farming that differs from traditional soil-grown farming is that farmers possess total control over the essentials: managing pH level of water, oxygen, nutrients, root support, light, and other elements that are more sophisticated, such as CO2 supplementation. By monitoring and adjusting these variables, farmers have control over a hydroponic system – precisely knowing what the plants need to thrive and how to replicate those same conditions in the future.
Systems can also be designed to make the most out of available space and increase plant density with vertical farming, as shown in the photograph. Besides the better control over nutrients, oxygen, and space, other advantages include the absence of weeds and other soil-borne pests, no toxic residue of pesticides, and increased crop productivity and quality. More efficient resource consumption allows this type of alternative farming technique to be adopted by a variety of stakeholders, ranging from home gardeners to professional growers, and supermarkets to restaurants. Additionally, the increased control over environmental growing conditions allows for year-round production.
Image from Medium
The first ever known existence of water-based hydroponics is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Despite the phenomenal architecture, the engineering of the water system is more notable. It is no small feat to keep plants thriving in the desert, but to transport water to flowers perched atop a nearly five-story building is indeed a difficult challenge without modern technology.
The Euphrates River was the irrigation source; the water was transported through a pumping system made of reeds and stone and stored in a massive holding tank. From the tank, a shade (a manually-operated water-lifting device) delivered water and nutrients to the plants.
Image from Medium
Similarly, the Aztecs of America created an ingenious method of sustainable farming called chinampas that also exemplifies the concepts of hydroponics. Chinampas were created by collecting mud and decayed plants into small stationary islands on top of which the farmers would grow various crops. To stabilize the islands, stalks and tough roots were lashed together and loaded up with sediment from the shallow lake bottom.
Consequently, a variety of nutrients from the sediment nourished the plants that were growing. The chinampas cultivated abundant crops of vegetables, flowers, and even trees. This successful innovation helped the civilization to thrive not only pertaining to food security but also economically and culturally. It became a system of horticulture capable of supporting the capital city of Central Mexico – a proof that a soilless culture can be immensely effective.
Types of Hydroponic Systems
There are six basic types of hydroponic systems: Wick, Water Culture, Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), Drip (recovery or non-recovery), N.F.T. (Nutrient Film Technique) and Aeroponic. These basic types of systems are the foundation for all the hundreds of hydroponic methods as they all are variation of these six.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
The Wick system is known for being the simplest type of hydroponic system. With a wick, the nutrient solution in the reservoir is being transported into the growing medium. The main disadvantage to this system is that the wick(s) may not be able to support large plants that need large amounts of water.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
The Water Culture system is made up of a platform that holds the plants floating directly on the nutrient solution. The air supply system that bubbles the nutrient solution gives oxygen to the roots of the plants. The main disadvantage to this system is also that it is not suitable for large and long-term plants.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
The Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain) system works like its name. The grow tray is temporarily flooded with nutrient solution and drained back into the reservoir. This flood and drain action is done by a submerged pump that is connected to a timer. The timer is set to come on several times a day, adjusted based on the size and type of plants, temperature, and humidity. The main disadvantage of this system is that it is prone to power outages as well as pump and timer failures.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
Drip systems are universally the most used type of hydroponic system. This system is also dependent on a timer that controls a submerged pump. When the timer turns the pump on, the nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by drip lines. In a Recovery Drip System, the excess nutrient solution that runs off goes back to the reservoir. In the Non-Recovery System, the runoff is not collected back.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
N.F.T (Nutrient Film Technique) systems does not require a timer nor a pump but rather is a constant flow of nutrient solution. The solution is pumped back into the grow tray and flows over the roots of the plants and drains back into the reservoir. The growing medium is primarily air.
The following diagram is from Simply Hydroponics LLC
The Aeroponic system is the most complex, high-tech type of hydroponics. Similar to N.F.T., the growing medium is air, so the roots hang and are misted with nutrient solution. A timer and pump control this system with short intervals since the roots will dry out if the misting cycles are interrupted.
Hydroponic Farming: A Solution to Food Security in Guatemala
Image from NBC News
In the past forty years, droughts have impacted more of the world’s population than any other natural disaster. Agriculture, a sector that supports forty-percent of the world population’s primary livelihoods, suffers from the increasing intensity and occurrence of droughts. According to Diego Recalde, director of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Guatemala, the steady growth rate of mass migration due to food insecurity and drought is reflecting the fact that the country has been suffering from a climate change-induced crisis for some time. Increasingly erratic climate conditions have made the country vulnerable: failed harvests year after year, unstable work opportunities, and forcing people to move in the efforts to escape food insecurity and poverty. According to the World Food Program, nearly fifty-percent of children under five-years-old are considered chronically malnourished in Guatemala, a measure that peaks to ninety-percent or higher in many rural areas.
Image from Americas Quarterly
In response to this crisis, innovative and cost-effective nature of hydroponic farming should be introduced to improve food security. Since hydroponic systems do not rely on soil and use water more efficiently than traditional agricultural production methods, using this method of systems support crops in drought-stricken areas with poor soil conditions. The possibility for greater crop yields means that this sustainable farming method can fight hunger by combating food insecurity and improving the quality of lives of low-income farmers and families.
Image from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Since advanced hydroponic systems are impractical and costly for developing regions, simplified hydroponics growing systems should be implemented and be taught to farmers and individuals who have no prior knowledge. In consequence, new jobs and farms supported by hydroponics will contribute to establishing a better economy and livelihood.
Jonathan Coony, a Program Coordinator for the Climate Technology Program at the World Bank, supports simplified hydroponic systems. He states that “the sustainable techniques would enhance climate resilience while creating local jobs and fostering regional investment.” Creating these simplified, customizable hydroponic systems using local materials and marketing them toward small- and mid- size farms are crucial to revolutionize agriculture for low-income farmers in drought-stricken countries. The emergence of hydroponics may be a life-changing solution to food insecurity in Guatemala and other developing countries.
Phalarope is currently working in communities that are located in the Dry Corridor of Guatemala, that stretches from Southern Mexico down to Panama. These areas suffer from severe inclement weather due to El Niño and are the most prone to drought or extreme precipitation. Therefore, alternate agricultural practices are needed. We are currently in the process of building the first school of hydroponics in Guatemala in rural Guatemala. In the initial phase 100 farmers will be trained and a selected group will be selected as a pilot to help them establish their own agricultural bussinesses in partnership with the local leadership. This project will be expanded to the adjacent communities in the Dry Corridor.
References
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Kuhlman, Karl. “Hydroponic Systems: Food Security in Developing Countries.” The Borgen Project, Borgen Project Https://Borgenproject.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.Jpg, 25 June 2020, borgenproject.org/simplified-hydroponics-offer-soil-less-food-security/.
Pell, Amanda. “Chinampas: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Matter Today More than Ever.” Upworthy, Upworthy, 1 June 2019, www.upworthy.com/chinampas.
Saklad, Avery. Hydroponic Farming in AFRICA: Increased Food Security. 13 Aug. 2020, borgenproject.org/hydroponic-farming-in-africa/#:~:text=Hydroponic%20systems%20support%20crop%20growth,livelihoods%20of%20low%2Dincome%20farmers.
Steffens, Gena. “Changing Climate Forces Desperate Guatemalans to Migrate.” Environment, National Geographic, 10 Feb. 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/drought-climate-change-force-guatemalans-migrate-to-us.
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