Asad Manzoor
Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi
Email: asad@gardener.com
Truly a greatest wonder of modern science – the hydroponic, hydroponic farming technique produce abundant harvests of fruit, vegetables, grains, herbs and flowers in places never before able to sustain growth, deserts of the earth turn into oasis of vegetables and herbs. Hydroponic farms produce the healthiest crops with the highest yields and vitamin content due to their absolutely balanced nutrient by mean of nutrients solutions. Modern hydroponic methods and techniques supply food for millions of hungry people worldwide and also supply you, me and the food service industry with high superior quality produce. In truth, hydroponic cultivation is so effective; hydroponic cultivation is now moving to be a necessary part of modern day life like NASA has devised an advanced method of hydroponics for use in outer space. The science and art of hydroponics or soilless farming start with experimentation into determining the basic elementary composition of plants. These experiments not only story of present day, experiments have been dated as early as 1600 A.D., on the other hand, historical records show that plants have been cultivated in soilless mixtures of sand and gravel even earlier. Historically the hanging farms of Babylon and the floating farms of the Mexican Aztecs are wonderful examples of premature hydroponic faming..
The word of "Hydroponics" was first time coined by Dr. W.F. Gericke in 1936 to explain the cultivation and farming method of both edible and ornamental plants in a solution of water and dissolved essential micro and macro nutrients. The word Hydroponics is derived from the Greek "Hydro"- meaning water, and "Ponos"- meaning labor. In hydroponic method of cultivation, plants are provided with the essential nutrients required for growth by a “nutrient” solution which is principally nutrient enriched mineral water. This nutrient solution can be distributed through circulation around the roots by either the passive force of gravity or the active force of an electromechanical pump. Some hydroponic systems remain bath the roots in nutrient solution and use an aquarium air pump to oxygenate the solution.
Plants grown hydroponically are healthier than their soil grown counterparts because they receive a perfectly balanced diet and do not come in contact with soil-borne pests and diseases. In soil plant compete with plants, weeds and other flora of the field, while in hydroponics farming plant feed without any competition and received maximum nutrients on perfect time of every growth stage. Super efficient hydroponic systems produce high yield by preventing evaporation and runoff. Arid regions and deserts where water is scarce can now grow crops with hydrofarming. Hydroponics systems deliver water and nutrients directly to the plant, crops can be grown closer together without spacing each other and healthier plants add to a higher yield. By growing crops in a hydroponics system saves the costs of soil preparation, insecticides, fungicides and losses due to drought and ground flooding.
Pakistan face serious crises of food and vegetables, the production of edible vegetable not increase significantly while demand increase day by day, due to low production, prices of vegetables increase significantly. The only sustainable solution of this crises is to adopt hydroponic farming, even initial cost is high to setup a hydroponics system, on the hand other hand system is durable and high productive for long time.
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