HYDROPONICS Hydroponics or soil-less culture Hydroponics (from the Greek words h

ydro, water and ponos, labor) is a technology for growing plants in nutrient ele
ments needed for optimum plant growth with or without the use of an inert medium
such as gravel, vermiculite, rockwool, peat moss, saw dust, coir dust, coconut
fiber. The term Hydroponics was coined by Professor William Frederick Gericke of
the University of California at Berkeley in the year 1937 (‘Hydroponics’, an Italia
n term that connotes water working and was coined in the 1930s). Gericke created
a sensation by growing tomato vines twenty-five feet high in his back yard in m
ineral nutrient solutions rather than soil. It is used to overcome the limitatio
ns of traditional agriculture - inadequate water, poor soils, short growing seas
ons, excessive heat or cold or inadequate light.
SCALE OF OPERATION The smallest unit measures 20 sq m and costs approximately Rs
9,000 to build a garden and another Rs 9,000 to maintain it. As far as the recu
rring costs goes, it comes up to Rs 10,000. The garden produces 2 kg of pesticid
e-free produce every day. A simplified garden can be as small as one bed grower
of 1sq m and even up to 1000 sq m which is a full-scale commercial operation. It
has been estimated from empirical evidences that a family production unit that
includes 20 bed growers of (40 sq m growing space) can generate an income of abo
ut 40000US$ 101 per month. Researches carried in Defence Agricultural Research L
aboratory (DARL), Uttaranchal showed that quality, taste and color were good in
hydroponically grown vegetables.
BENEFITS:
• Utilization of space: one of the main advantages of the hydroponics is the possi
bility of using urban spaces which hitherto had not been considered adequate for
growing food i.e. balconies, small gardens, party walls, rooftops.
• Optimum water consumption: water is recycled and does not pollute the environmen
t. : It’s a “3R” technology. Where water is reduced, reused and recycled in the proces
s of cultivation of crops.
• Hydroponic products are healthier: Pesticides are rarely used in hydroponics and
pests and diseases that affect crops come from their direct contact with the so
il are also absent
• No crop rotation: with hydroponic gardening there is any need to practice crop r
otation. The reason for crop rotation is because certain plants “leach” certain elem
ent out of the soil, rendering the soil useless for extended use by the same cro
p. With a hydroponic system, the same type of plant can be grown year after year
.
• Saved time in cultural activities: Since the hydroponics system uses a sterile e
nvironment, weeds are generally absent and thus there is efficient use of time a
nd labor.
• Better control: Hydroponic systems allow better control over such things like pH
conditions. This is something that can be difficult to regulate with traditiona
l growing methods.
• Intangible benefits: Hydroponics can be a recreational and enjoyable pastime. El
derly people, children, stressed-out executives, individuals with various degree
s of disability, and even busy housewives can find a source of permanent satisfa
ction in hydroponics.