The Environmental Impacts of Hydroponics
Centuries ago, it would have been not easy to imagine that we could grow crops without soil. Rich soil has traditionally been an essential requirement for growing plants, but technological advancements in agriculture are changing. Hydroponic systems are challenging traditional soil gardening and may well be the plant-growing systems of the future.
Prevailing traditional agricultural methods are not sustainable. Heavy consumption of pesticides, wastewater, emissions, deforestation, and ecosystem disruption are some of its issues. Climate change, economic crises, and pressure on the environment put the food ch chain stability at risk
What is Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a technique used for growing plants without soil. They cultivate plants in nutrient-enriched water with a supply of air and light needed for photosynthesis. We call this particular technique that uses only water, nutrients, and light, geoponics.
Urban Agriculture
Urban agricultural practices like hydroponics build up the agricultural potential of cities. At the same time, they are delivering positive environmental benefits. Since farmers can control the nutrient supply to the plants via hydroponics, they can grow crops in or out of season. They need to consider other factors like exposure to sunlight and temperature, yet they can manage those using farming methods that enable them to control their farm environment
Water conservation
In places where water scarcity is a problem, hydroponic systems can radically improve water consumption in farming. The hydroponic system uses ten times less water than traditional soil-based farming. This is because it is unlike field crop watering, where water has to be sprayed till the soil absorbs it. In hydroponics, the systems deliver nutrient solutions directly to plant roots. When they pump it through a medium, absorption is not necessary. The water which contains nutrients is recaptured and reused, unlike in traditional farming, where water is allowed to run off into the environment. This eliminates the need to source water resources often.
Less contamination
The intensive use of pesticides is one of the problems of traditional agriculture. Thanks to the controlled environment, pest attacks are not an issue in hydroponics. This means that there is minimal use of
Pesticides, if at all. Hydroponic systems eliminate the problem of weed growth which, in turn, means zero herbicides use. Using herbicides in traditional farming contributes to air pollution and soil contamination. Also, because the plants are not in the soil, there is no chance of chemical fertilizer contamination.
Reduced waste
Farmers can reuse the nutrient solution in hydroponics indefinitely, although the nutrients themselves require replacing as depleted. They collect the solution as it drips from the channels into a nutrient from various sources. One technique, aquaponics, uses fish excrement as a net reservoir.
Sustainability
Hydroponic growing can occur all year long as seasonality does not limit it like traditional soil-based farming. This means that seasonal food scarcity due to snowfall or no rains can be reduced or eliminated. It presents an opportunity to improve the food supply.
Packed and Faster
Also, because the plants are more densely packed, a hydroponic farm will yield much more than a field plantation of the same size. One other benefit of hydroponics is that it has a faster plant growth rate. Also, hydroponics is practicable almost anywhere in the world.
Land conservation
Hydroponics does not consume large expanses of land like traditional farming. With hydroponic growing, we can produce food locally without occupying agricultural land. This makes it an excellent option for land conservation without harming the food supply. We can do it indoors and outdoors, so it is possible to operate thriving hydroponics gardens in rural areas and built-up urban settlements.
Vertically
Hydroponics also helps conserve space as they usually arrange the tubes vertically, allowing farmers to use space above the ground. This is possible by anchoring the tubes to frames or suspenders.
, vertical farms are a new type of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) that could be described as a stack of greenhouses on top of each other, multiplying the plant yield by the number of floors comprising the vertical farm. It has now become a solution to most of the issues deriving from traditional outdoor farming. By occupying less land, it can contribute to the restoration of forests, and by operating within a circular economy framework, it uses fewer resources and reuses organic waste. Impacts on health could also be significant as outdoor farming contributes to the spread of global infectious diseases.
Reduced emissions
In many ways, hydroponics can help to reduce the agricultural sector’s contribution to global warming. It is not as carbon-intensive as traditional soil-based farming and encourages local food production and supply. Large-scale hydroponic systems operating in urban areas bring food supply closer to consumers. It cuts back on transport emissions generated along the supply chain
Energy use
Depending on the environment, indoor hydroponic gardens may need an artificial light source. Also, most hydroponic techniques require an electric pump to keep the nutrients and water flowing. These consume energy. According to research, fossil fuel use decreases the benefits of hydroponic production. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the energy source is clean and sustainable.
Agriculture of future
The hydroponic system has been dubbed the agriculture of the future world because its benefits are so significant and sensitive to humans. With the help of this system, you can grow the product you need all year round, outdoors or indoors, without harming the beneficial and natural microorganisms in the soil and without time and space restrictions.
Pests and insects are much less: Pests, weeds and insects are much less in this system, so you do not need to buy insecticides, pesticides or even fungicides, and these costs are greatly reduced, and you do not contaminate the soil. Pest control is more accessible due to their minimal number, and you have easier farming.
Healthy products and fewer diseases: Chemical fertilizers and pests are some of the factors that transmit the disease to plants and then to humans. By removing these items, the hydroponic system
Challenges you’ll face in Choosing In addition to beauty, natural flowers and plants in the house’s layout can clean the air of the house and give beauty to people. People who keep a lot of wildflowers in their homes feel better. If you wish to turn a corner of your kitchen into a hydroponic garden, you might face a challenge with choosing among many hydroponic systems. Hydroponics is a vast field, with many different scientific and technological solutions, each with its peculiarities, advantages and disadvantages.
Can everything be Grown Hydroponically?
Admittedly, indoor farming cannot be expected to fully replace all of the 1.87 billion hectares devoted to crop production. For instance, rice is highly costly to grow indoors, while beef is almost impossible to raise indoors. However, it can become a considerable source of food, decreasing the need for excessive farmland usage. Indeed, other animals such as crustaceans, fish, and poultry can be produced in vertical farms, and cattle food – growing soy indoors could significantly impact deforestation. Even if indoor farming does not fully replace outdoor farming, it may complement the food system facing the increasing pressures of demographic growth and land scarcity.
Democratization
Vertical farms decentralize the food system and democratize the food supply since it increases supply, lowers prices, and contributes to food access to all sections of the population, including the poorest. More equitable and widespread access to food will further enhance urban systems’ sustainability.
References:
Diana R. et al. (2018) Environmental impacts of urban Hydroponics in Europe: a case study of Lyon.
Petrus Langenhoven (2016) Opportunities in hydroponics. Purdue University.