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za
Hyd
ropo
nic
H
ydro
poni
c
vege
tabl
e ve
geta
ble
prod
ucti
onpr
oduc
tion
Ack
now
ledg
emen
t P
ictu
res
are
used
with
the
kin
d pe
rmis
sion
of
the
Agr
icul
tura
l
Res
earc
h C
ounc
il-V
OP
I and
are
gra
tefu
lly a
ckno
wle
dged
.
Ref
eren
ceH
ydro
poni
cs in
Sou
th A
fric
a, d
ate
acce
ssed
, 01
Oct
ober
200
9.
http
://w
ww
.info
hub.
co.z
a/hy
drop
onic
s.ht
m
• It
is a
mor
e co
mpl
icat
ed a
nd i
nvol
ved
proc
ess
than
dirt
farm
ing.
Type
of c
rops
whi
ch c
an b
e gr
own
in a
hy
drop
onic
sys
tem
Tom
atoe
s, p
eppe
rs, c
ucum
bers
, spi
nach
, let
tuce
, he
rbs
and
othe
r hi
gh-v
alue
cro
ps.
Type
s of
hyd
ropo
nic
syst
ems
• O
pen
bag:
pla
nts
are
grow
n in
con
tain
ers
and
nutr
ient
sol
utio
n is
sup
plie
d to
pla
nts
by m
eans
of
a d
rippe
r
• C
lose
d ba
g or
gra
vel fl
ow
: the
nut
rient
sol
utio
n is
re
circ
ulat
ed a
nd t
he r
oots
of
the
plan
ts s
tand
in
a th
in fi
lm o
f nut
rient
sol
utio
n al
l the
tim
e. G
rave
l or
san
d is
use
d m
ost o
ften
as g
row
th m
ediu
m.
Type
of c
over
s us
ed in
gre
enho
uses
• S
hade
net
ting
(fl a
t ro
of,
pitc
h ro
of a
nd t
unne
l ty
pe)
• P
last
ic s
heet
ing
or tu
nnel
s
• G
row
ing
time
is o
ften
less
ened
• T
rans
plan
t sho
ck is
red
uced
Gen
eral
dis
adva
ntag
es
• H
igh
cost
(i.e
. ini
tial c
apita
l cos
t, co
st to
run
)
• H
igh
mai
nten
ance
(i.e
. con
stan
t sup
ervi
sion
, pH
te
stin
g, li
ght a
djus
tmen
ts, s
uppo
rt)
• R
equi
res
spec
ialis
ed
know
ledg
e an
d eq
uip-
men
t.
Intr
oduc
tion
Hyd
rop
on
ics
is a
te
chn
olo
gy
for
gro
win
g p
lan
ts
in n
utri
ent
solu
tions
(w
ater
-con
tain
ing
fert
ilise
rs)
with
or
with
out t
he u
se o
f an
artif
icia
l gro
win
g m
e-di
um (
sand
, gra
vel,
verm
icul
ite, r
ockw
ool,
perli
te,
pe
atm
oss
, a
nd
sa
wd
ust
) to
pro
vid
e m
ech
an
ica
l su
ppor
t. Li
quid
hyd
ropo
nic
syst
ems
have
no
othe
r su
ppor
ting
med
ium
for
the
plan
t roo
ts a
nd a
ggre
-ga
te s
yste
ms
have
a s
olid
med
ium
of s
uppo
rt.
Pros
and
con
s of
hyd
ropo
nic
syst
ems
Gen
eral
adv
anta
ges
• H
ydro
poni
cs
allo
ws
for
the
poss
ibili
ty
of
the
grow
th o
f cr
ops
outs
ide
of t
heir
indi
geno
us c
li-m
ate.
• B
ette
r co
ntro
l of
env
ironm
enta
l fa
ctor
s, i
.e.
for
indo
ors
or g
reen
hous
es:
light
ing,
tem
pera
ture
, hu
mid
ity,
com
posi
tion
of t
he a
tmos
pher
e, f
re-
quen
cy o
f fe
edin
g an
d irr
igat
ion
can
be c
ontr
ol-
led.
• C
rop
rota
tion
is u
nnec
essa
ry b
ecau
se t
here
is
no d
eple
tion
of n
utrie
nts
beca
use
ther
e is
no
soil.
• G
row
ing
is n
ot r
egul
ated
by
seas
onal
cha
nges
. T
he s
yste
m a
llow
s fo
r con
tinua
l gro
wth
thro
ugh-
out t
he y
ear.
• T
here
is li
ttle
to n
o ris
k of
wee
ds o
r pa
rasi
tes
in
cont
rolle
d sy
stem
s.
• H
igh-
qual
ity v
eget
able
s ar
e pr
oduc
ed
• W
ater
is u
sed
effi c
ient
ly
• H
ighe
r yi
elds
are
obt
aine
d
• S
igni
fi can
t red
uctio
n in
spa
ce r
equi
rem
ents