Farmers and commercial growers have always focussed on looking out for sustainable and chemical-free ways to grow food and plants.
And that’s exactly what hydroponics is all about. In the past few years, hydroponics has taken the farming industry by surprise.
Brief description of hydroponics
It is the method of growing plants indoors without any soil. The roots of the plants are supplied with adequate growth nutrients with the help of a solution instead of directly pulling them from the ground.
Hydroponics is especially useful for people with limited or no outdoor space. Although almost all types of plants grow well hydroponically, there are some that are best grown with this method. These plants include herbs, tomatoes, strawberries, and peppers.
It would be best to leave plants with taproots like potatoes and the ones that grow tall like corn to grow in the vining nature.
Keep reading to know more about the benefits of the method, and you’ll automatically realize why it is considered the future of the farming industry.
- Plants grow in a controlled environment
Unlike traditional farming, hydroponics is practiced in controlled environments. You can actually cultivate crops and plants in an environment where you have the power to manage and control their growth.
From managing pH and air movements to meeting the water, nutrients, and lighting needs, you can easily control everything with this method.
With the help of hydroponics kits, farmers can boost their production and meet the gaps that would definitely not be possible for them with traditional farming for obvious reasons.
You can also use the controlled environment to grow plants in a more efficient and smarter way. In fact, many hydroponics systems also allow you to grow plants vertically. This way, you can not only minimize the footprint but also maximize your crop yields right away.
- Make the most of your limited space
Many people end up giving up their farming dreams just because they don’t own huge farmlands. But thanks to hydroponics, space is not a problem anymore.
Hydroponics comes with minimal restrictions when it comes to space and location. You can use its compact size to provide adequate growing conditions for your plants. Since the roots don’t need soil to spread out, hydroponics doesn’t require much land for cultivation.
In fact, with the help of certain hydroponic systems, you can actually grow up to 23000 fully mature plants in just 4,840 yards of farmland. That’s certainly impressive.
And if you opt for hydroponics systems that offer vertical farming techniques, you might even end up using much less space as compared to traditional farming.
- Easy water supply
You’ll be surprised to know that according to a recent report by WHO, only 71% of the world’s population has access to safe drinking water. In fact, it is also estimated that by 2025, nearly half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. This means that conserving water is important now more than ever.
See, of all the water supplied by farmers through irrigation, only 0.1% is actually used by the plant’s roots. Hydroponics conserves water by using the recirculated water. This allows the plants to absorb the amount of water they actually need and brings back the rest to the system.
As compared to hydroponics, traditional farming ends up using 80% of the surface and groundwater. On the other hand, hydroponics prevents leaching and harmful runoff and ends up saving huge gallons of water. So, with the help of this method, you will actually be doing your bit to save the environment.
- Better food production
Undoubtedly, fresh fruits and vegetables are definitely better and preferred by literally everyone around the world. But not everyone lives in an area with access to year-round fresh fruits and vegetables. Not to mention, the weather and soil quality plays an important role in maintaining the overall quality of plants and food production.
With traditional farming, the only solution to providing fruits and vegetables in the offseason is to pick them before they get matured completely. Farmers then leave them to mature in their warehouses and keep the growth process going along the supply chain. Many farmers also use ethylene gas to artificially ripen the food that has been picked way too early. This might end up compromising the nutritional value of the food products.
It is needless to say that fruits and vegetables that ripe naturally on the plant have more nutritional value and taste better. And that’s exactly what hydroponic gardens focus on. Since they have their own microbiomes, the crops can be grown anywhere at any time.
The method also allows you to pick fruits and vegetables to pick their prime so that your consumers can enjoy them as they are supposed to be enjoyed.
- Cultivation takes place without Pesticides and Herbicides
When it comes to conventional farming, many farmers use insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides to boost the growth of their crops.
This is especially true for the ones who are exposed to multi-climatic conditions. These chemicals also prevent weed and pest infestation.
But since plants are grown in the absence of soil with hydroponics, there’s a lesser chance for weed growth and pest attacks.
This means that you can actually grow crops and plants without chemicals and harmful agents.
This is also one step ahead to food production without compromising consumer health. In fact, healthy production also creates better opportunities for sales as more and more people are turning towards organic living. Thus, you can easily grow green and lush veggies using a reliable and functional hydroponic system.
To sum it all up
The best part of using a hydroponic system for cultivation is that it is relatively simpler than traditional farming. In fact, many newbie farmers have admitted that they don’t necessarily need huge capital or generational knowledge to get started in the industry.
So, now that you know all about the benefits of using a hydroponic system for cultivation, you might have also figured out why it is regarded as the future of the farming industry.