Methods and Monitoring of Hydroponics Unit 3 – Soilless Systems Lesson 3.2 Hydroponics
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Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant
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Methods and Monitoring of Hydroponics
Unit 3 – Soilless SystemsLesson 3.2 Hydroponics
Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant
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Types of Hydroponic Systems
Media Based (Aggregate Culture)
• Ebb and Flow
• Drip System
• Wick System
Water Culture
• NFT (Nutrient Flow Technique)
• Aeroponics
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Ebb and Flow
• The growing media is flooded and drained manually or mechanically
• This method relies on a media, such as peat moss that will retain the moisture and nutrients after flooding
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Drip System
• Contains a drip line that slowly adds nutrient solution to media
• Nutrient solution drains back to a reservoir
• Nutrient solution is recycled via a pump
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Wick System
• Bottom feed system
• Media contains a wick that will absorb the nutrient solution through capillary action from a container below the plant
• The wick must be primed to maintain the absorption of the nutrient solution
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Nutrient Flow Technique
• Plants are supported with rockwool cubes or cups allowing the roots to dangle in solution
• The tubes or cups sit in channels where the nutrient solution runs along the bottom
• The nutrient solution will be recycled via a pump and reservoir
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Aeroponics
• Plant roots are misted with the nutrient solution
• The misting may be constant or cycled on a timer
• This type of system will conserve nutrients and water
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Management of a Hydroponic System
You must monitor the levels of the following requirements:
• pH
• Salinity or Electrical Conductivity
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Nutrient Levels
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pH
Remember from soils:• pH is measured from a range of 1 to 14 with 7
being neutral, 1-6.9 acidic, and 7.1-14 being alkaline.
• The pH of the nutrient solution will determine the amount of nutrients absorbed by the plant.
• Most nutrient ions are absorbed between a pH of 5.5 to 8.0.
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Salinity
Just as you learned in soils, salinity causes root absorption problems and should be monitored.
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Electrical Conductivity (EC)
• EC measures the amount of electricity conducted by the nutrient solution
• The higher the EC the more nutrients found in the solution
• The higher the EC can also lead to problems with salinity – make sure the EC levels are optimal for the plant species being grown
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Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
Because some hydroponic systems submerge the roots underwater, oxygen must be present in the solution or roots die.
Ways to increase DO concentration:
• Aerate with bubblers
• Allow water to run over objects to create turbulence in the flow
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Nutrients
Plants will use nutrients from the water. A closed system will need to have these nutrients replenished to maintain growth.
The three main nutrients to be concerned about are:
• Nitrogen• Phosphorus• Potassium
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References
The Growing Edge. (2008). The growing edge of hydroponic basics. Retrieved November 1, 2008, from http://www.growingedge.com/basics/start.html