Hydroponics. The Sustainable Agriculture of the Future
Imagine the benefits of growing plants without any soil whatsoever. Making this a reality, hydroponics uses nutrient-rich water alone to stimulate growth.
Examples of growing methods including the use of small planting holes in a large pipe where water feeds the roots at the bottom, or rafts where holes are put into a surface that floats on the water. Another popular choice is a process of emptying and flooding using a deck mechanism. Whichever method is used, hydroponics will always rely on fertilizer that cascades in a closed system.
In a reality where we need to be thinking about global warming and the depletion of water sources, we cannot afford the extreme rate of freshwater consumption by agriculture, currently at as much as 70%. This modern system uses far less water with none seeping into the soil.
Traditional methods also allow fertilizer to enter the soil, causing nitrogen and phosphorous contamination to both freshwater and saltwater. This pollutes the drinking water and causes damage to marine life, and is not a problem in a closed circuit system.
Hydroponics results in more vegetables grown per unit area than you could achieve with soil planting, even taking advantage of vertical stacking of plants. As the roots are directly given everything they need to thrive, the growth cycle is also shorter.
Finally, the resource requirements are simpler, with no weeding needed, and an easy and convenient harvesting system that can be customized for each user.
