Hydroponics- how it works, nutrients solution for beginners

Hydroponics- how it works, nutrients solution for beginners 

Hydroponics - how it works

Hydroponics- how it works is understood simply by placing a branch of a plant in a glass or a bottle filled with water, then after a few days, roots come out of it, and gradually the plant starts growing. Whereas we have seen that, trees and plants are usually grown in soil. It seems that manure, soil, water, and sunlight are necessary for growing and growing trees. But the truth is that only three things - water, nutrients, and sunlight are required for growing plants. In this way, if we provide nutrients in any other way to the plants, then we can grow trees in the presence of water and sunlight without soil.

 In fact, due to increasing urbanization and population, there is a scarcity of land for growing crops and plants. To feed the World population this technique of growing plants without soil will be very useful. With this, you can grow plants and vegetables, etc. in your flat or even at home. This technique of growing plants without soil is called hydroponics.

 Let us know Hydroponics- how it works, how it can be useful for us, and where it is being used in our country.

                  Why Hydroponics is better than soil?

What is hydroponics?

The technique of growing plants not in soil but in water or in a controlled climate between sand or pebbles is called hydroponics. If you want to make a real farming revolution, to get farmers out of their daily life, this is the best way. The word hydroponic originated from the two Greek words Hydro and Ponos. Hydro means water, while ponos means work.

In hydroponics, plants, and forage crops are grown under controlled conditions at about 80 to 85 percent humidity at 15 to 30 ° C temperature.

Generally, plants take their essential nutrients from the ground, but in the hydroponics technique, a special type of solution is added to the plants to provide the necessary nutrients to them. Necessary minerals and nutrients are added to this solution for plant growth. Only a few drops of this solution are added to the plants grown in water, pebbles or sand, etc., once a month. In this solution, nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, zinc, and iron, etc. are added in a special proportion so that the plants get the necessary nutrients.

Why Hydroponics is better than soil?

Hydroponics technology is being used for crop production in many western countries. In our country also, hydroponics technology is used for growing crops without soil in many areas of the country. In arid regions like Rajasthan where there are adverse climatic conditions for fodder production, this technique can prove to be a boon in those areas. This technique is being used to grow maize, barley, oats, and high-quality green fodder crops at the Veterinary University, Bikaner. Scientists here have achieved success in growing sapling grasses and plants using this technique in a controlled environment without soil. This will help to overcome the difficulties faced by farmers of growing green grass in open fields and the sowing of light-seeded seeds, thus enabling the rapid development of green grass pastures. 

Hydroponics in India

It would be pertinent to mention here that in the states of adverse climatic conditions like Rajasthan, the condition of good mulch breeds is becoming worrisome due to the continuous depletion of pastures and lack of balanced nutritious food. In such a situation, an attempt is being made to produce green fodder by hydroponics technology. This will provide nutritious green fodder for the animals for twelve months. Similarly, potato is being grown in Punjab by hydroponics technique.

hydroponic fodder trays

There is a shortage of land for pasture in Goa, so there is a big problem of fodder for the animals there. In view of this problem of farmers, a unit of green fodder production using hydroponics technology has been set up in Goa campus of Indian Council for Agricultural Research on behalf of Goa Dairy under National Agriculture Development Scheme of Government of India. Ten more such units have been set up in various dairy cooperative societies in Goa. Each unit has a capacity to produce 600 kg of green fodder per day.

hydroponic fodder

What are the benefits of hydroponics?

Hydroponics techniques have many advantages over traditional plants than growing plants and crops. With this technique, plants can be grown even in areas where there is a shortage of land or the soil is not fertile under adverse climatic conditions. The major benefits of hydroponics are:

1. With this technique plants, and crops can be grown at a very low cost. According to an estimate, it costs less than one rupee per year for a plant with a height of 5 to 8 inches.

2. To supply essential nutrients to the plants, only a few drops of essential mineral solutions are required to be added only once or twice a month. Therefore with its help, you can grow plants anywhere.

3. Only 20 percent of the water is sufficient for gardening using hydroponics techniques as compared to traditional gardening.

4. If hydroponics technology is used on a large scale, a variety of vegetables and vegetables can be grown on a large scale in their homes, and large buildings. This will not only reduce the cost of food and drink but will also reduce the cost of transportation.

5. Since the plants and crops produced by this method have no relation with soil and soil, they reduce diseases and hence do not have to use pesticides in their production.

6. Since hydroponics techniques put a special solution of nutrients in plants, fertilizers, and other chemical substances that are not required. This will not only benefit our environment, but it will also be good for our health.

7. Vegetables and plants grown with hydroponics techniques are more nutritious.

8. Hydroponics the method can not only grow plants in homes and flats but can also be grown in fields outside. Crops and plants grown by this method are ready in half the time.

9. This technique requires much less space than ground grown plants. In this way, it helps to relieve the excess pressure of the ground and the irrigation system.

10. Experiments related to maize-prepared hydroponics fodder have found that conventional green fodder contains 10.70 percent crude protein, while hydroponics green fodder contains 13.6 percent crude protein. But hydroponics green fodder has less crude fiber than conventional green fodder. Hydroponics green fodder produces more energy, vitamins, and more milk and also improves their fertility.

With the help of hydroponic technique the seedlings of grains such as wheat can be ready in 7 to 8 days, whereas in general, it takes 28 to 30 days to get their plants ready.

Challenges of hydroponics technology

The question arises that when hydroponics can have so many benefits, why is its use not spreading? Actually, there are many difficulties and challenges in the way of this technique becoming prevalent; Such as:

1. The biggest challenge is the initial cost required to construct the system. It costs more than the traditional method. It needs to be clarified here that later it becomes much cheaper.

2. Since water is reused in this method with the help of pumps, it requires a constant power supply. Therefore, the second big challenge is to maintain a power supply at all times.

3. The third challenge is to change people's attitudes. Most people think that to use hydroponics, there should be very good knowledge about it and it requires a lot of research studies. But actually, it is not so.

In the end, it cannot be denied that the minerals and nutrients required for the proper growth of plants should be available in the right quantity at the right time. In hydroponics technology, we supply these elements, while the plants on the ground take them automatically.

Types of Hydroponic Systems

What are the 6 types of hydroponics?

Six basic types of Hydroponic systems include:

                                        What are the 6 types of hydroponics?

The Wick System

This is the simplest type of Hydroponic system works by pumping the nutrient solution from the reservoir up to the plants.

Deep Water Culture

The roots are merged in the reservoir containing the nutrient solutions.

NFT Nutrient Film Technique

In this system the roots are merged in the reservoir containing the nutrient solutions, but the nutrient water is not stable. The nutrient water supplied at one end and drain through another end. The reservoir is kept tilt to flow the nutrient water.

Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)

Ebb and Flow is the same as that of NFT. The difference is only that the timer is added to it. As the nutrient water reaches the roots, it drains back to the reservoir.

Drip system

A drip system uses a timer to drop tiny amounts of water onto the plants.

Aeroponics

In aeroponic the system, plant roots are not merged in water. A spray of the nutrient water is a pump to roots in the quick spray cycle controlled by a timer.

hydroponics growing medium

We know hydroponics is growing crops without soil, but to support the plant we need growing medium such as.

hydroponics growing medium

1. Coconut Coir
2. Perlite
3. Rockwool
4. Expanded Clay Pellets
5. Grow stones
6. Vermiculite
7. Starter plugs

The banana fiber is also a very good water absorbent so it may be used as a growing medium.

Hydroponic Nutrients- how it works

There are 16 elements essential to the growth of crop plants:

Supplied by air and water: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen.

Macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium.

Secondary Nutrients: calcium, magnesium, sulfur.

Micronutrients: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).

This nutrient solution for different plants is a different combination of all above with water.

Major Elements, mg/L (ppm)

If you are interested in organic hydroponics then you may use vermiwash organic crop nutrient.

Hydroponics nutrients formula for

Sr. No	Crop	N	P	K	Ca	Mg
1	Lettuce	200	50	300	200	65
2	Tomato	200	50	360	185	45
3	Roses	170	45	285	120	40
4	Eggplant	176	30	235	150	28
5	Melon	186	39	235	180	25
6	Pepper	175	39	235	150	28
7	Herbs	210	80	275	180	67
8	Strawberry	50	25	150	65	20
9	Cucumber	230	40	315	175	42

After making solution you must

Measure the pH level, and adjust it to the 5.5 to 6.5 level.

Generally, the required temperature for hydroponic solutions is about 70 °F± 2°F.

Check the pH level regularly and the ppm of the nutrients to adjust it according to requirement.

Change the reservoir water along with nutrient solution two, three times a month.

TDS: Totally Dissolved Solids

EC: Electrical Conductivity

PPM: Parts Per Million

Dissolve 1 a milligram of salt in 1 liter of water to get a 1ppm and measure the TDS. Some of the measures are as below.

Sr. No	Vegetables	PPM / TDS
1	Artichoke	860 - 1260
2	Asparagus	980 -1260
3	Bean (Common)	1400 -2800
4	Beets	1260 - 3500
5	Beans	1260 - 1540
6	Broccoli	1960 - 2450
7	Brussel Sprouts	1750 - 2100
8	Cabbage	1750 - 2100
9	Carrots	1120 - 1400
10	Cauliflower	1280 - 1400
11	Celery	1260 - 1400
12	Cucumber	1190 - 1760
13	Eggplant	1750 - 2400
14	Endive	1400 - 1680
15	Garlic	980 - 1260
16	Leek	980 - 1260
17	Lettuce	560 - 840
18	Okra	1400 - 1680
19	Onions	980 - 1260
20	Parsnip	980 - 1260
21	Peas	980 - 1260
22	Potatoes	1400 - 1750
23	Pumpkin	1260 - 1680
24	Radish	840 - 1540
25	Spinach	1260 - 1610
26	Sweet Corn	840 – 1680
27	Sweet Potato	1400 - 1750
28	Tomato	1400 - 3500
29	Turnip	1260 - 1680
30	Zucchini	1260 - 1680

This will help you to understand Hydroponics- how it works, and many more about Hydroponics.