By Abdul Wahid Saleem
Hydroponics is relatively a new entrant in the farming sector, an entrant that not everyone is aware of. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil but with the help of a nutrient solution. The nutrient solution in hydroponics has all the required nutrients needed for the plant growth. This technique also uses very less amount of water when compared with traditional farming.
Some of the best hydroponics in India have been producing healthy and hydroponic peppers, tomatoes, strawberries etc. Hydroponics is slowly but surely catching up with traditional farming, as more and more young entrepreneurs and farmers are adopting this new technique of farming. This technique has been adopted in many developed countries to save water and save space. The unprecedented climatic change due to global warming has made the weather unpredictable for traditional farmers to farm whereas the automatic climate controlled greenhouse facility ensures that the plants receive a favourable atmosphere for growth.
There are various methods of hydroponic systems largely employed based on the size of the room, size of the harvest and many more factors. Some of the commonly used methods of hydroponics are as follows;
Wick system: Wick system is the simplest and most passive hydroponic system there is. Here, the nutrient solution is passed on to the plant by means of a wick. The drawback of this system is that it can’t support a large number of plants.
Water culture: Water culture is another commonly used hydroponic technique where the plants are fixed in floating medium like Styrofoam etc and placed on a nutrient solution. The float keeps the plant above the solution and the roots inside the solution. This method works for smaller plants while bigger plants tend to turn over once the float cannot support the weight.
Ebb & flow: This technique is a bit more complicated than the last two. We employ a water pump for this method of growing. Here the water pump pumps the water to the plant surface for some time and drains it back after the timer runs out and this process carries on. This method is suitable for both small and large level cultivation with the help of a larger motor.
Drip system: Like the drip irrigation system used in conventional farming, the hydroponic drip system does the same. Here, the nutrient solution is pumped to the plant via a drip method. The excess nutrient solution present in the plant base overflows back into the nutrient solution and the cycle goes on.
By understanding the basic hydroponic systems one can start their own garden in their own premises.