At a time when people are growing more determined to improve their quality of life, numerous advancements have been discovered which are, undoubtedly, beneficial to our survival. Science and technology, inarguably, have been critical to our coming of age in this new progressive world. A century ago, the world we live in now is unimaginable. There is a very limited number of processes that are done nowadays, the same way as it was done before. And if so, they may only be done to preserve culture and history.
Technology is the implementation of any scientific technique for practical purposes. It has touched every possible area of life, from the most basic to the most complex processes imaginable. Even farming or planting and growing crops are today, done differently. For centuries, one element has been deemed to be essential in growing plants, soil.
But for a few decades now, a system of growing plants that shies away from the use of soil has been developed and has recently been gaining a huge number of followers. This breakthrough in farming and planting is called hydroponics.
Hydroponics is defined as the method of growing plants by injecting nutrient solutions in water, directly exposing the plant to the elements necessary for its growth, without the use of soil. It was discovered centuries ago that plants are capable of absorbing essential nutrients from the water. Therefore, nutrients dissolved in water from the soil are taken in by the plant roots.
This led to the conclusion that when artificially introduced, nutrients can be directly absorbed by plants without the use of soil. Imagine being able to build your own garden of crops in your backyard, an abundance of fresh produce that you could use for your daily cooking.
The amazing technology of hydroponics is being considered and used worldwide for food production because of a number of advantages. This technique requires no soil, therefore, those who live in the city, especially in condominiums or in limited spaces, could still enjoy the perks of growing their own produce or flowers or any other plants. The water used to grow the plant can be reused as well, so there’s very little water requirement as well. Also, pests and other factors such as diseases are easier to extinguish because of the container’s mobility.
Harvesting is a breeze, as the planting area is controlled. And since you monitor and grow the plants, you can choose for the plants to be pesticide-free. Plants also grow healthier with this technique and any product is generally much better for consumption.
The only advantage of this method is that without soil buffering in the system, any kind of failure in the process would result in the quick death of the plants. The type of plant to be grown should also be considered as some plants require fertilizers to grow and prefers to have a specific containment system.
Bottom Line
In sum, the technology as well as the scientific processes that surround Hydroponics, if properly executed, have great potential to be the answer to the still pressing issue of world hunger and other similar issues. Therefore, we should strive to quicken studies and advancements regarding this incredible branch of science.