Write An Essay On Hydroponics Advantages And Disadvantages

Hydroponics is a sector of agriculture where plants are grown without soil. The nutrients that a plant usually derives from in soil are dissolved into water but this is depending on the type of the hydroponic system. Then the plant’s roots are suspended, misted or flooded with the nutrient solution so that the plant can take in the elements that are needed for growth. In the future this sector will dominate the food production. As the population increases and the arable land decreases, people will turn to hydroponics replacing traditional agriculture. Currently earth’s population is around 6 billion but scientists speculate that in 2050 it will be to 9.2 billion, increasing the demand for land but declining the space for crops. (Turner, Bambi)

Environmentally, an advantage is that most hydroponic systems do not use a drop less or a drop more of water and only use 10% of the amount that is used in soil outdoors. The systems also do not require a lot of land as the plants/food can be stacked which is very efficient and will produce the same amount as a conventional field (which is much bigger). As a hydroponics system does not necessitate soil, it means that hydroponic greenhouses can be situated anywhere given that there is power and a water supply. Since hydroponic farms are environmentally restraint there is no need for pesticides and herbicides. This also pushes the system 90% of way to becoming completely organic. (Tiller, Alex) Also since it is much cheaper to use an old industrial land, if the green houses are placed in close proximately, shipping and other ways of transport, are minimized compared to the traditional agriculture. This is better for the environment since all the fumes would not be let out, (e.g. carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide etc.) reducing global warming. (How Does Growing) But despite all this, there are still disadvantages to having a hydroponic system. Plants that are grown in the hydroponic environment are usually in a clean atmosphere compared to plants grown outside. However, if there is a malfunction in the system, it could cause many hardships for the plants. A power cut could potentially affect the hydroponic plants as these plants are not used to the different conditions. (Black, Kenneth) It could dry out the plants, as the water would not be running, leading to being obliged to manually watering the garden instead. (Olivia) The N.F.T (nutrient film technique) is especially susceptible to power outages because the nutrient flow solution would be interrupted which results in the roots rapidly drying out. (Basic Hydroponic