Advantages & Disadvantages of Hydroponics!

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Like technology, gardening sector is also changing. People are now switching to soil less gardening
technique, popularly known as Hydroponics. If you have ever kept a plant clipping in a glass of water,
expecting it will generate roots, then you have practiced hydroponics. Its an example of organic gardening,
in which plants are grown in nutrient solution, instead of soil.
By practicing hydroponic gardening, gardeners dont have to worry about weeding, soil borne diseases,
when to fertilize, spraying pesticides, labors of cultivation, tilling, soil texture, and more. It offers an easy
way of growing fruits and vegetables that are healthier and have more nutritive value. With hydroponic
gardening you can expect big, better results in short span of time, as nutrients are dissolved in water and
directly fed to roots.
Hydroponic gardens are simple to maintain both indoors and outdoors. You can relish fresh, home-grown
fruits and vegetables that will bring you happiness and peace of mind while saving some money. Read
more to explore other advantages and some disadvantages of hydroponics:

Advantages of Hydroponic Gardening:

Through hydroponic gardening; plants can be grown anywhere as long as their growth
requirements are met.
It uses only 1/20th of water compared to traditional (soil based) gardening.
It provides a sterile environment for plant production. This technique does not require pesticides,
fertilizers and other chemicals, as theres no chance of damage due to soil-borne diseases or
pests.

Crops grow two times faster in hydroponic gardening. It provides controlled environment, and yield
is doubled leading to more production from same amount of space.

It needs 20% of less space in comparison to soil based gardens, as plants with small roots can be
grown closer to each other.

Run-off in traditional gardening can lead to environment degradation due to high proportion of
calcium, phosphorous and potassium content dissolved in it. But in hydroponic systems; water can
be reused multiple times leading to water conservation with less expense incurred on it.

Theres no-doubt in the fact that hydroponics involves less labor. Upkeep is also minimal.

Its simple to get complete control over nutrient balance by using solutions like Olivias Growing
Solution.

There are no soil setup and testing hassles.

Plants grown through this technique are healthy and have better nutritional value. It has been
proved that vitamin content is 50% more in hydroponically grown plants as compared to
conventional ones.

It is easy to harvest in this type of gardening.

There are no worries about the changing seasons, as crops can be grown all year round.

Hydroponic gardening is amazingly stress-relieving and a relaxing hobby. Moreover it is a great

way to spend quality family time.

Disadvantages of Hydroponic Gardening:

Initial set up cost of hydroponic system is high. It requires constant supervision.

These gardens can also become susceptible to power outage; in this case plants will dry out. If this
ever happens, you have to manually water your garden.

Water-based microorganism can be easily introduced.

Technical knowledge is required for growing plants through hydroponics.

There are numerous benefits of hydroponic gardening. Its practice can yield excellent results in short span
of time with proper knowledge and techniques. Various environmental concerns, reduction in arable land,
and scarcity of water can be easily conquered with the use of hydroponics. It is extremely beneficial for
commercial farmers and home gardeners alike.

This entry was posted in Hydroponics and tagged Hydroponic gardening, Hydroponic
systems,Hydroponics, Olivia's Growing solution, Organic gardening, soil less gardening technique on October 25, 2013.

Advantages of Hydroponics

Soil is not required for hydroponics

No need for huge farming land as it allows the crops to be produced in greenhouses, even in the
desert sands. It is a stable technology for growth of plants and ensures high yields

The desired nutrient environment can be easily provided for plant growth

Water stays in the system thus labor for watering of plants can be avoided
Lower water costs as water is reused in these systems

Less water is lost through evaporation and runoff

Acid-base balance can be easily maintained.

No mulching, tilling, changing of soil and weeding

No scope of pesticide damage

Proper aeration of nutrient solution is possible. Nutrition pollution is not released into the

environment

Easier to get rid of pests and diseases

Easy to harvest

Disadvantages of Hydroponics
Limited production in comparison to field conditions

Initial setup cost is high, as the necessary equipments are expensive

Technical skill is required to maintain the equipments

Hydroponic gardens are influenced by power cut

If a disease appears all plants in the container will be affected. Water borne diseases can quickly
spread right through the hydroponic gardens

If the hydroponic system fails it can leads to rapid plant death without soil as a buffer

- See more at: http://www.biology.lifeeasy.org/1213/what-are-advantages-and-disadvantages-hydroponicsfarming#sthash.8F1tEaiI.dpuf

Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without
soil. The method can be implemented in places where the soil type is not ideal for the desired

crop. In addition, the technique can be used in roof top farming and therefore is very useful in
areas with limited space such as urban areas.
Advantages
No soil is needed so there is no crop limitation due to soil type, eroded or diseased

soils.

Water can be recycled so it is advantageous in drought prone areas or deserts.

No nutrition waste due to water run-off which in turn can lead to eutrophication.

Higher and stable yields because the plants does not expend too much energy in
finding nutrients in the soil thus this energy is invested into the growth of the plant.Also
in soil plants compete with weed for food and water but in hydroponics the adequate
nutrients are delivered straight to the roots.

Less frequent occurrence of diseases because of the absence of soil which a bacteria growth media

Due to container mobility hydroponics enables the farmer to grow crops near the area
of use thus reducing transportation costs.

Labor intensive work such as tilling, cultivating, fumigation, and watering is not
required for hydroponic farming (Jones, 1997). And as for advanced hydroponics the system
is usually automated using pumps or even computers, labor costs will decrease dramatically.

The simplified hydroponic technique is easy to understand and does not require any
prior knowledge to achieve concrete results.

Disadvantages

Although the use of advanced hydroponics is cheaper in the long run, its initial start
up cost is rather high as it is expensive to procure the equipment required.

The hydroponic conditions (presence of fertilizer and high humidity) create an

environment that stimulates salmonella growth.

Requires the use of uncontaminated water

Four main types of hydroponic techniques

Nutrient Film technique

It works best with plants that have a long root system. This circulatory system consists of a sloped channel that
allows the nutrient water to be continuously pumped in the channel. Plants are suspended are suspended above
the solution with their roots dangling into the solution. However it requires constant maintenance as overgrown
roots can block the channel and disrupt the whole process. It also requires a constant flow of nutrient solution or
else the plant will dry out so the pumps must be very effective.For this reason this method is not advisable for
home gardening or developing countries.

Source: Retrieved 1 December 2010 in Basic hydroponics and how they work
from http://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
Dynamic root floating technique
This non circulatory method can be implemented using simple pumps thus is advisable for developing countries.
The pump is not continuously in use but is switched on and off occassionally. The bottom part of the roots
dangle in the nutrient solution and specialize in nutrient uptake(nutriroots) whilst the upper part is not in
solution and is responsible for oxygen intake(aeroroots).DRFT keeps the temperature constant and so is
desirable for tropical and semi-tropical regions of Asia.
Since oxygen is less soluble in warm water, the DRFT is well-suited for hydroponic farming in tropical and
subtropical climates such as those found in Thailand (Kao, 1991).

Water culture technique

The roots dangle freely in the solution.The problem of root aeration often arises and therefore an air pump is
used to supply oxygen.The roots must not however exposed to light as it gives rise to nutrient consuming
algae.This technique is ideal for plants that grow fast such as lettuce.

Source: Retrieved 1 December 2010 in Basic hydroponics and how they work
fromhttp://www.simplyhydro.com/system.htm
Media Padat
Pasir
Arang sekam
Kokopit

Limbah Jamur Merang

Implementation in developing countries and urban areas.

Advanced hydroponic systems can be intensive and expensive. But simplified hydroponic growing is much
simpler and cheaper with low operational and maintenance costs.. Although yields from such systems are lower
in comparison to advanced hydroponics the yield still outweighs the regular farming yields. In addition cheap
and easily available materials such as fish aquarium tanks, ceramic pots, and aluminum cans can be used.It is
also useful in urban areas where there is limited cultivation land.
Simplified hydroponics was developed in the early 1980s in Colombia.These projects were a success as on
average a single garden made a profit of $90 in two to three months with the initial investment being $355.
Since 1984, projects have been implemented in 12 Latin American and African countries, mostly funded by the
UNDP and the UN FAO.

Costs for building gardens for Asia tropical areas

Of the estimated 790 million people classified as hungry in 2000, 525 million lived in Asian nations (UN FAO,
2000).
This is a rough estimate of what Bradley and Marulanda (2000) estimated would be the cost of setting up a
hydroponic garden in Tropical Asia.
The total number of beneficiaries would be 232 million for 50million gardens,each garden accomodating an
average family unit of 4.Initial

cost of setting up a garden amount to $355 including a year supply

of nutrients and seeds.The total cost of implementing this plan in Tropical Asia is 20 billion
dollars but it generates a revenue of 135 billion per year.Income from each ranges from $3291405 per year.
From these statistics it can be seen that implementing such a plan would be beneficial as it is self sustainable.
The gardens are not only a source of fresh produce rich in vital nutrients but also a source of income thus the
beneficiaries can use the money to send their children to schools and cater for other needs. Because this is an
income generating project it can still be carried out even if there are no free funds because the farmers can work
with private companies to secure micro loans which will be paid back after the produce is sold.
Although these statistics are based on a large scale implementation plan, this plan can also be effected on a small
scale range starting with 20 or so gardens.
The estimated cost of this small scale project X will be about $7600 with the same potential income as stated
above from each garden. Profits made from project X can then be used to start another hydroponic project
elsewhere whilst Project X continues to grow.

Successful implementation
1.Uruguay

2. Ecuador
Funding
Such a project, if successfully implemented, is self sustainable because it leads to increased
yields hence increased profits that are ploughed back to improve the project. Therefore, the
project only requires funding for the initial start up, and the FAO is an ideal source. Other
potential sources include the countrys government or microloans from other organizations.

Works cited:

Oriz, A., Rotatori, H., Schreiber, E., von Roth, G. (March 5, 2009). Hydroponic Farming in
Mahasarakham. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/Eproject/Available/E-project-030409-225133/unrestricted....
Stajano, M. C., Cajamarca, I., Erazo, J., Aucatoma, T. & Izquierdo, J. (n.d.). Simplified
hydroponics: Improvement of food security and nutrition to children aged 0 to 6, a case
study from Ecuador. Retrieved November 23, 2010
fromhttp://www.rlc.fao.org/es/agricultura/aup/pdf/biotecu2.pdf.
Stajano, M. C. (May-June 2004). Simplified hydroponics as an appropriate technology to
implement food security in urban agriculture. Retrieved November 23, 2010,
from http://www.telus.net/public/a6a47567/Food%20Security.pdf.
Delfin, A. R. (May/June 2008). The Growing Edge. Retrieved November 27, 2010
fromhttp://www.growingedge.com/magazine/pdf/GE_1905_p42.pdf.
Bradley, P. & Marulanda, C. (November 27, 2000). Potential of Simplified Hydroponics to
Provide Urban Agriculture Income.
Martin Caldeyro Stajano Ing. Agr. (M.Sc.). (November-December 2003). In THE FAMILY GROWN
HYDROPONICS VEGETABLE GARDEN AS A FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION STRATEGY FOR
URBAN LOWINCOME POPULATION. A CASE STUDY FROM URUGUAY. Retrieved 27 November
2010, fromhttp://www.chasque.net/frontpage/asudhi/Pagina-Ingles/Simplified%20HydroponicsRocha.PDF.
Martin Caldeyro Stajano Ing. Agr.(M.Sc.) ,Ivonne Cajamarca Ing.Agr.,Juan Erazo Ing, Tamara Aucatoma,Lic.,&
Juan Izquierdo,Ph.D.. (July/August 2003). undefined. In SIMPLIFIED HYDROPONICS IN

ECUADOR. Retrieved 27 November, from http://www.hydroponics.com.au/free-articles/issue-71simplified-hydroponics-in-ecuador/.

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