"Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral nutrient solutions."
A method of growing crops in a nutrient-rich solution, without soil, often used in controlled-environment agriculture systems.
Hydroponic systems: Understanding the different types of hydroponic systems (such as deep water culture, nutrient film technique, ebb and flow) and how they function.
Nutrient management: The importance of nutrients in hydroponics, macro and micro nutrients that plants need, and how to maintain proper nutrient levels in the system.
pH levels: The importance of maintaining a proper pH level in the hydroponic system, and how pH levels can influence the plant growth and development.
Lighting: Understanding the different types of lighting for hydroponic systems, and how to choose the right type of lighting for the plants being grown.
Plant propagation: Different methods of plant propagation in hydroponics, including seed starting, cloning or cuttings, and transplanting.
Pest management: Identification of common pests and diseases in hydroponic systems, as well as methods for controlling them.
Water quality: The importance of water quality in hydroponics, and how to maintain good water quality.
System maintenance: Proper maintenance of the hydroponic system, including cleaning, sanitation, and regular inspection.
Environmental controls: The ideal environmental conditions for hydroponic plants, including temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels.
Crop selection: Choosing the right plants to grow in a hydroponic system based on environmental factors, required nutrients, and market demand.
Harvesting and storage: Proper harvesting techniques for hydroponic crops, as well as post-harvest handling and storage techniques.
Marketing and sales: Understanding the hydroponic market, including consumers, potential buyers, and pricing strategies.
Business planning: Creating a business plan for hydroponics, including financing, marketing, and a production schedule.
Sustainability: Understanding the environmental impact of hydroponics, and how it can be optimized for sustainability.
Aeroponics: This hydroponic system involves suspending plants in air and misting them with nutrient-rich water. The plants' roots grow down through the air to reach the water.
Drip irrigation system: In this system, plants are grown in a medium such as rockwool, coco coir or perlite, and water is dripped slowly onto the roots.
Ebb and Flow system: The Ebb and Flow system involves flooding the grow tray with nutrient-rich water and then draining it back into the reservoir. The plants in this system are grown in a medium such as perlite or rockwool.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): In this hydroponic system, a thin film of nutrient-rich water flows over the plants' roots, which are suspended in air.
Wick System: This system involvess setting up a small wick between the reservoir and the plants' roots. The roots absorb water through the wick as they grow.
Deep Water Culture (DWC): This hydroponic system involves suspending plants above the reservoir filled with nutrient-rich water. The plants' roots grow down into the water, and an air stone provides oxygen to the roots.
Vertical hydroponics: This system involves growing plants vertically instead of horizontally, and plants are often grown on walls or in towers.
Kratky method: The Kratky method is a passive hydroponics system that doesn't require electricity or pumps. The plants are grown in a sealed container filled with nutrient-rich water and allow the plants roots to grow down into the water.
"Terrestrial or aquatic plants may grow with their roots exposed to the nutritious liquid or the roots may be mechanically supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates."
"Roots can cause changes in the rhizosphere pH and root exudates can affect rhizosphere biology and physiological balance of the nutrient solution when secondary metabolites are produced in plants."
"The nutrients used in hydroponic systems can come from many different organic or inorganic sources, including fish excrement, duck manure, purchased chemical fertilizers, or artificial nutrient solutions."
"Plants are commonly grown hydroponically in a greenhouse or contained environment on inert media, adapted to the controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) process."
"Plants commonly grown hydroponically include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, lettuces, and cannabis, usually for commercial use, as well as Arabidopsis thaliana, which serves as a model organism in plant science and genetics."
"Hydroponics offers many advantages, notably a decrease in water usage in agriculture."
"To grow 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of tomatoes using intensive farming methods requires 214 liters (47 imp gal; 57 U.S. gal) of water; using hydroponics, 70 liters (15 imp gal; 18 U.S. gal); and only 20 liters (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 U.S. gal) using aeroponics."
"Hydroponic cultures lead to highest biomass and protein production compared to other growth substrates, of plants cultivated in the same environmental conditions and supplied with equal amounts of nutrients."
"Since hydroponic growing takes much less water and nutrients to grow produce, and climate change threatens agricultural yields, it could be possible in the future for people in harsh environments with little accessible water to hydroponically grow their own plant-based food."
"Hydroponics is not only used on Earth, but has also proven itself in plant production experiments in space."