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Why Hydroponics?
Prepared by Amy StoreyBright Agrotech, LLC
Population Growth
• The world population is growing fast! • Experts predict that by 2024, the
world population will reach 8 billion people.
• By 2040, the population will reach 9 billion!
Space Needs
• How are we going to increase agricultural output to feed all these people?
• We don’t have enough space to feed 8 billion people using current growing techniques.
• More space does not mean more surface area or land.
• Creative growers use vertical farming to grow crops on several levels.
Water Needs
• Water usage is also a top concern as population increases.
• Droughts and water rights issues can make it difficult for farmers to get water.
• Current irrigation techniques are highly wasteful. – Flood irrigation loses up to
50% of its water!
© Blue Legacy/Lauren McLaughlin, Flickr.com
What is the solution?
• People have been experimenting with alternative growing techniques.
• The Aztecs grew crops using chinampas, or floating gardens on lake Texcoco. – Nutrient-rich mud from the
bottom of the lake fertilized the plants. • The Chinese also harvested nutrients from water
organisms in their flooded rice paddies.
“Chinampas,” Wikipedia.org
What is Hydroponics?
• The modern art of hydroponics was born in Australia.
• Hydroponics is simply growing crops without using soil.
• There are three types of hydroponics systems.
What is Hydroponics?
• A raft system grows plants in some sort of raft with holes in it.
• Roots hang into the water, where they take up nutrients present in the water or solution. “Hydroponic Swiss chard
works really well in a floating raft. Bumper crop
at Papa Farmyard” by Gabriella Yazickr,
Flickr.com
What is Hydroponics?
• A grow bed system uses a shallow bin (“grow bed”) filled with a media other than soil.
• This media might be clay pellets, crushed rock, or expanded shale.
• Water is constantly run through the media by a pump.
“Sprout!” by Jesse Gerard, Flickr.com
What is Hydroponics?
• Vertical hydroponics is a more complicated design, but it allows farmers to grow in a previously unused space.
• Vertical growing can save both water and space.
Vertical aquaponic grow towers at
Bright Agrotech’s farm in Laramie, WY.
Vertical Growing Challenges
• Light extinction–When incoming light is
used by plants at the top of a vertical system, bottom crops don’t get enough light to grow.
Vertical Growing Challenges
• Difficult Maintenance– Systems with large
components can get bulky and heavy.
– Harvesting can be difficult and time-consuming.
– Difficult maintenance usually means high labor costs.
Vertical Growing Challenges
• Costs can be higher than revenue– A grower has to think about many costs
when building his system: labor, equipment, installation, water, electricity, rent, inputs…
– The system must work efficiently enough to minimize these costs.
Problem Solving
• After looking at all the challenges of vertical hydroponics, it's time to think critically about system design.
• We need a system that – allows light to get to the bottom crops – is light and easy to move around, and – has low costs.
• Do you have any ideas?